Hello, my name is Daniella Mercer, and in four days I am going to begin the AMHSI Fall Semester program in Israel. When I first decided I wanted to attend an AMHSI program, I thought it would be their summer program, a trip which is much shorter and on which I would know many more people. My aunt had told me about the new Stephen Muss Impact Fellowship that had been initiated in Miami and encouraged me to apply. Initially, I believed the scholarship was for the summer program, and began the application. However, I soon found out that the scholarship was actually applied to AMHSI’s semester program, and I kind of just went with it. So in a way, I ended up in this situation by accident, and I think it is the best accident that ever could have happened!

Allow me to introduce myself. I am currently a junior at Miami Beach Senior High, where I swim and play water polo. I am an honors/AP student and I don’t totally despise school, no matter what I may tell people. Outside of school I participate in lots of environmental projects, such as beach cleanups and sustainability affirmatives. I am very involved in my Jewish community, and I am working on deepening my connection to the religion. I also work as a lifeguard, absolutely love rain- which I might miss a bit while in Israel-, am constantly listening to music, and cannot wait for the adventure I am about to embark on.

The more I think about this trip, the more excited I get. I know it is likely to be a lot of work, especially as I am taking on a rather hard course load, but I feel that whatever work I end up putting in will be well worth the reward. I absolutely love Israel!! Whenever I go there I have the most wonderful time and feel so intensely connected to my roots. I am going to be able to see all my friends and family while I am there and hopefully meet many new people as well!! Even so, I am a bit anxious to leave all my friends and family in Miami. My family here is extremely tight knit and I spent a good amount of my time with them, so while I am looking forward to the trip, I really wish I could bring them with me!

Still, I know that being away from them for so long is going to be a opportunity for growth and independence that I intend to take full advantage of! Overall, my excitement for this once in a lifetime experience greatly outweighs my apprehensions. I look forward to the friendships I am going to make, the history I am going to learn, the places I am going to see, and the things I am going to feel. I will try to fully embrace every experience- the good and the bad- and learn as much as I can without my brain exploding!!!