Faces of FIUTS: Meet Clarisse

Faces of FIUTS is a new campaign that collects personal stories from individuals who are part of our work. This week, meet Clarisse!

Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Kuwait City, Kuwait. I consider a lot of places home since my nationality is a little bit more complicated. I've come to learn that home is now more of a feeling, where I feel loved and supported. This also means anywhere my family is.

What's your FIUTS story? FIUTS has been an organization that has given me a family, and some of the people I hold dearest to my heart. The most meaningful FIUTS experience was definitely doing Global Gala 2017 with my co-chair Suyi. Working together to create an event from scratch was both challenging and rewarding. FIUTS is a wonderful community, and I'm grateful to be a part of it.

How will you change the world?
I am passionate about people, and working towards creating a strong voice for people who have historically not had one. I want to work to bridge the gap of mental health in communities where it was historically looked down upon. I hope to be a catalyst of change through my activism to inspire a generation of leaders to take initiative to continuously better their community for anyone after them.

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Clarisse Furtado is a senior double majoring in psychology and communication with a minor in diversity. She has been involved in FIUTS since her freshman year as a facilitator, student board member, and education programs volunteer.

Faces of FIUTS is published every two weeks on the FIUTS blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Read past posts collected here!

Interested in being featured as a Face of FIUTS? Contact Ellen Frierson at ellen@fiuts.org.