VATI

This past weekend I went to Phoenix for a VATI event which stands for Victim Assistance Training Institute and now I will be a certified Victim Advocate. The class started Saturday Morning from 8am to 5pm with breaks in between. I was the youngest adult in the class which was fine with me, but hearing everyone's story was really difficult and emotional, because drinking and driving is 120% preventable every time every single time. I learned a lot of valuable information on how to be a great Victim Advocate. MADD is a wonderful non-profit organization and continuing to put more effort into eliminating Drunk Driving. I believe this is a big step for me in order to become that National Speaker I would like to be. Yes this was a beginning Curriculum, but the information was valuable and amazing. For example we talked about The Aftermath of Impaired Driving Homicide and also Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Chronic Depression and Suicide Ideation, which are heavy subjects. Everyone has a different story, all Drunk Driving situations are different, yes the outcome maybe the same meaning that their son, daughter or husband or wife died. I told the class that I will eliminate Drunk Driving and I will do my best to get it done, if I have to give up sleep I will. I cannot wait to go to an advanced VATI event which I will more information and I always tell myself the more the information the better. Thank You MADD.
On Tuesday October 28, 2013 was 13 months since my sister passed away and I spoke at Valencia High School which was beautiful and I cannot wait to be back. I spoke to five classes and I put my heart out when I spoke. All the classes I spoke to was amazing, but the room was so heavy in every class, I cried in the fifth and last class I spoke to, sometimes this happens when I cry, I will cry. I touched everyone and afterwards I decided to take a class picture which I will be doing from now on in every class I speak to.  I want to Thank Valencia High School for giving me the opportunity to speak and I will see you in January.

MADD Public Service

MADD the largest non-profit organization in the nation and they continue to play a huge role in the community. MADD does host events for example this past weekend was the WALK LIKE MADD in the city of Long Beach where families who have lost loved ones to Drunk Driving come and do a 5k walk to raise awareness, but also raise money for MADD. All the services that MADD has to offer is at no-charge we are trying to help the victims and families as much as possible.  The thing is anyone can donate so this was not an private event, the public heard about this and hundreds of people helped supported the walk. This turned out to be a wonderful and enjoying experience not only for me, but all the people that showed up. MADD also goes out to schools and speak about the dangers of Drunk Driving and what are the consequences. By far almost everything they do is for the public, raising awareness and the campaign to eliminate Drunk Driving this is a public issue and they need to tell the public about this. Public Service is a huge part in this world and there is a quote by Demi Lovato she says " There's no point to living life unless you make history, and the best way to make history is to help others" The history that MADD is making is remarkable and simply amazing  and we will achieve what some people may think is impossible, but MADD and myself will eliminate Drunk Driving.

 My favorite quote by Mahatma Gandhi is "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others". Public Service is everything, whether it be interning for a small non-profit, you are still contributing to the world. What I like about MADD a lot they are striving to be the best they can be and the fact is that its the largest non-profit organization in the nation is extremely great. All the states have to work together to achieve history. For me personally I am going out to the community and showing my service that I am doing, and I am making a difference, I am changing someone's life. Public Service is going out to the community and making a difference and MADD is one of the best at this. I support MADD 120% in all they are trying to achieve, everything they do is for the public and to show that Drunk Driving is 120% preventable every time every single time.I joined MADD because of my beautiful sister. Malak I Miss You Every Single Day.

Keep Calling Don' t Text and Old Fashion Dating Habits We Should Make Cool Again

I feel like calling people now a days is dying out especially since technology is improving each day and most people are on their phones or tweeting. I love calling people, its different from texting, hearing a person's voice is a wonderful thing. I love to hear people's voices when I call. I do not want to see in five years that it maybe frowned upon someone calling you. It's always nice to call someone that maybe you have not seen in a couple years or longer and just see how they are doing. I tell people always keep in touch no matter where you go, nobody is busy 24/7 where they cannot answer the phone and talk for five to ten minutes. I will always continue to call people and ask how they are doing. How many people do you that love texting more than calling? I don't like texting, I rather have someone call me then keep texting me over and over again. We live in society where later down the road phone calls may die out, which is a sad observation to bring up, but it maybe true.  For example most of my friends in Arizona they tend to text more or be on their phone either Instagram or Twitter. I want people to focus what's in front of them instead of being on their phone all the time.

    I like to bring up fashion dating habits that we should make cool again. One of them is romantic gestures like writing poems or letters when do you hear about a teenager or adult specifically 18-25 years old writing letters that has died out. Another one is turning electronics off and just being with one another. I see people at restaurants always on their phone when they are with a girl, I do not know if its a date or their girlfriend, but still focus on what's in front of you. Turn off the phone because there is a beautiful girl that wants to have your full attention and talk to you. One more is straightforwardly asking someone out and not calling it "hanging out". Once again I always lets hang out, I barely hear someone telling someone I am asking you out. Why do certain phrases have to die out. I hope this blog brings attention to several people and I hope people they do realize that I am right and they will start making a change.   

Doing my Best

I want to talk about how well my speaking's have been going. I spoke yesterday at College of the Canyons which went extremely well. I just feel that my speaking is going to another level. Next week I have Cal State LA Monday, Tuesday Valencia High School and Wednesday Van Nuys High School which will be an amazing week for me. These teachers are giving me opportunities to come speak and I have to be thankful that I am getting these opportunities.  When I speak its not about me, its about changing someone's life in the classroom or multiple lives. I want to make a difference and yes the students are telling me I am which is simply amazing and I am so grateful that I could potentially change a person' s life in less than 45 minutes. I mention this in previous blogs, but I want to be a national speaker, I want to speak in every state in every school possible.

   This Drunk Driving Car Crash changed my life forever I am not the same person I was 12 months, there is a quote I found it says "The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not 'get over' the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again, but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same, nor would you want to".  I am starting to believe in this quote, but its so early to tell how to live without my sister, I never thought this would happen to me. My life was content when my sister was alive and now life does not make sense at all. I am slowly trying to rebuild myself, but then its so early I am taking the most littlest baby steps I can take to help me. Then again time does not heal all wounds it does not, I feel like you will always feel pain.  I say this all the time, but my sister dying still has not hit me yet, I do not know when that day will come, but I am ready for it.

     I am going to make a difference as much as I can and will always will be. Ellie DeGeneres said "Contribute to the world. Help People. Help one person. Help someone cross the street today. Help someone who is trying to help you. Just help. Make an Impact. Show someone you care".

Leadership

          Leadership plays a big role, being in MADD you have to be a leader and that's exactly what I am doing. When I speak I am being a leader on stage I have to change these people's lives, and I want to impact them as much as I can. I do believe I am leading, not only speaking, but I want to eliminate Drunk Driving. A leader goes out and leads right, so that's what I am doing here. I will down the road become a national speaker which is what, that is a leader. I want to lead people to a change and I believe I will be that change maker. This internship is preparing me to become the best leader I can. I also listen to other speakers who share their stories and I try to examine them and see what I can do differently when I go up there and speak. My co-workers they are leaders, they have to be respectful to the offenders and to the families that have lost loved ones and see what services they have when that does happen. They are always trying to help people which is one trait of being a leader is show that you care. I believe everyone in MADD is a leader no matter what position you are in, this is the largest non-profit organization.

            My internship picked me to fly out to Phoenix, Arizona the weekend of October 24-26 because of a VATI meeting which stands for Victim Assistance Training Institute and this is a wonderful opportunity that I will have and I cannot wait to meet the people I meet there. I hope to run into someone who will show me what it takes to become a national speaker. I am thankful my internship is doing this for me and the thank you I give them is when I say "I want to eliminate Drunk Driving", that is my goal. MADD has helped me in many ways and they will continue to help me and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for me.

Don't Drink and Drive

              Drinking and Driving has been a big problem in the United States. I feel that we need to eliminate Drunk Driving for good. People do it all the time and they say in general if you do it once, you are more likely to do it again and that's the sad part. People don't have to drink and drive why they do it, you don't know what goes through that person's mind at the moment right before they get in the car. I feel that drivers who drive drunk are doing that because they have to get home for a reason maybe I have work in the morning. One shot, one beer, one cup of wine can change your perception of driving, you are 50% more likely to get in a car crash with one drink. Driving Drunk is a serious matter when I speak about the subject I put all my effort into, because well my sister was killed by a drunk driver, so I have to change people's lives when I speak. I will never understand why people drive drunk, but I do certainly understand why people drink they want to have a good time and have fun. I want to more effort into the campaign of "Eliminating Drunk Driving" you know how special how lets in five years Drunk Driving has significantly decreased that would be a remarkable day and I hope to make this happen.

                Along with trying to eliminate Drunk Driving I would also love to start a scholarship program under my sisters name which does require a lot of effort and time which I am willing to put. I would call it the "MALAK HARIRI SCHOLARSHIP". I just want to do many things for my sister trying to keep her name and legacy alive is one thing I am willing to fight for and I don't want people to forget about my sister. I want to start programs and keep speaking about this Drunk Driving car crash, it was the biggest so you cannot forget the biggest. I talk about it because I want to people to feel my pain and hear my story and know that this should never happen to them, I want everyone to make it home safe and remember its one phone call away that can save your life. There is someone out there who will pick you up. Don't Drink and Drive

Program Specialist Keith Page Interview

I interviewed my Program Specialist who works for MADD which stands for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

I am responsible for implementing and managing MADD’s SMART™ (Start Making a Right Turn) program in various cities throughout Los Angeles and Ventura County. SMART™ is a program for youth between 13-18 years of age that have been charged with any variety of offenses, including (but not limited to): possession of alcohol by a minor, possession of marijuana, reckless driving, speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt, talking/texting while driving and other motor vehicle violations.  

I started out as a substance abuse counselor for a non-profit organization that provided treatment services for inmates within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. During my tenure as a substance abuse counselor I discovered that most of my clients begin to use drugs and alcohol at an early age, as early as nine years old. As a result, I was inspired to help children who have issues with substance abuse and I was eventually given an opportunity to serve as a Program Coordinator for a non-profit organization that provides treatment services for both middle and high school age youth that have a history of substance abuse. After serving as Program Coordinator for two years, I decided to resign to further my education so that I could equip myself with the tools that I needed to start my own business and impact youth on a larger scale. In 2012, I obtained MPA (Master of Public Administration). In order to be a Program Specialist for MADD, you need to have a Bachelor’s degree within the social science field and at least two years of experience working with at-risk youth.  In order to be an effective Program Specialist, you need to, network, network, network because you never know who (teachers, law enforcement officers, local business owners, youth counselors, etc.) will help get the success rates that you desire. In regards to new trends in the field: More students nationally, 12^th graders, are using marijuana daily than they were 5 years ago 5.1% to 6.5% (Monitoring the Future, 2012) http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/

I would be interested in this career, because you can help change people's lives and help parents feel better about their son or daughter.  Helping teenagers is a wonderful opportunity, you may actually be their inspiration after the program is all said and done.