Being a block away from a future terrorist attack would scare away most teens, but Caroline Mascardo ‘22 is not like most high school students. While spending a trimester in Nairobi, Mascardo found a new way to appreciate everything Americans have access to.

During a trimester of her freshman year, Mascardo spent time in Nairobi, where her aunt and uncle live and work for the U.N. While temporarily living in the capital of Kenya, Mascardo gained a new perspective on things many Americans take for granted. 

“Living in Nairobi changed my perspective on a lot of things,” Mascardo said. “But overall, it just made me a lot more aware of my actions and thankful for the resources that I have. And so things that I would usually take for granted here, like electricity, running water.” 

Plumbing and electricity weren’t the only hardships Mascardo faced while staying in Nairobi. While being away from the comfort of her home, Mascardo was without her family and friends. Without having a shoulder to lean on, Mascardo had to deal with some antagonizers alone.  “[…]a strong support system, in terms of family, and a good group of friends, wasn’t always available in Kenya. It taught me to be really kind just because I actually dealt with some bullying there. So that taught me just to really be aware of my actions and kind to everybody,” Mascardo said. 

As only a sophomore at Iowa City West, Mascardo is more involved than the average teenager. She plays on the girls varsity tennis team, and Mascardo part of the speech and debate club, model UN, and chamber orchestra, to name a few. Mascardo’s hard working mindset has inspired her peers as well as her family. Her mother, Lori Mascardo, says, “Caroline is extremely  motivated and driven young woman. She definitely has inspired me to broaden my horizons and push myself past my usual comfort zones.”

While being part of many academic clubs can be a big time commitment, Mascardo tries her best to manage her time. “Well, I do admit that it can be really difficult at times, and there are days or even weeks where my sleep is sort of impaired,” Mascardo said. “But I mean, West is such a great school in the fact that the teachers are very understanding. And if you come to them, and you explain that, you know, you’re going through a tough time, or you need a bit more time with something, go take that into consideration, and they’ll do their best to help you.”

With these experiences, Mascardo developed a new objective in life. Mascardo’s life long goal is to help everyone and be more positive, because even the littlest things can make someone’s day. This does not only apply to other people, though. Mascardo also wants to always be content with herself, as well. “You know, just making someone’s day by I guess, being kind to them, or helping them solve an issue in their life,” Mascardo said. “Personally, though, I would always try and work towards being happy and content with myself.”

Mascardo also thinks that this is an issue worldwide, and that if everyone tried to understand each other, everyone would get along better. 

“I think if people are more willing to see things from the perspective of maybe the person, they’re sort of against or opposing, then those two groups can maybe work together to find a solution that will benefit both of them,” Mascardo said.