Sara Clemente, a recent graduate of I.S. 145 in Jackson Heights, had the opportunity of a lifetime as she was one of 12 city students who got to meet Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. The students won an essay contest as part of a series of events to mark the first ever Mandela Day on July 18.
The students, in high school and junior high school, traveled to South Africa from May 30 to June 6 and met Mandela along with other students from South Africa. The visit allowed them to see the work of Mandela’s organizations and various schools and museums. Based on these experiences, the students then created a charter of how to apply Mandela’s values and ideals to their local and school communities. The students presented the charter to representatives of the Mandela Foundation on their last day in South Africa.
The soon-to-be 91-year-old leader spoke briefly to the students about education.
“Just being in the room with him was amazing. His aura was so strong, even though his body was physically frail,” said Clemente, who will start at Townsend Harris High School in the fall.
The students presented Mandela with a few things, including school shirts, gym uniforms, pictures of New York, video yearbooks and even a Yankees hat, Clemente said.
While there, the students visited a local high school and several museums, including the apartheid museum. The students also watched performances and visited restaurants where they were able to sample the local fare.
The essay contest asked students to write about Mandela’s life and how the students would incorporate the ideals of Nelson Mandela into daily life. Clemente illustrated examples of student leadership in her essay and the need for kids to put aside their racial and cultural differences to work together.
When she found out about being one of the winners, Clemente was ecstatic.
“I was so excited I didn’t even know what to do.”
Clemente had known of Mandela after doing a report on him for school. However, “meeting him was a totally different experience,” she said.
The inaugural Mandela Day, to be celebrated annually on Mandela’s birthday, will feature a concert on July 18.
The concert, which will take place at Radio City Music Hall, will feature appearances and performances by Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon and a number of South African artists. A full lineup and tickets can be found at https://www.mandeladay.com/events/concert/.
The advocacy group 46664, which is Mandela’s prison number, initiated the creation of Mandela Day with the Nelson Mandela Foundation. It urged people around the world to celebrate Mandela Day by performing 67 minutes of community service to honor the 67 years and counting that Mandela has fought for human rights.
After meeting Mandela and visiting South Africa, Clemente is more determined to make a difference. Clemente said she feels the need to do more, whether it is to better her community, help her mom, or even to improve on her studies.
“The motto in one of his campaigns, ‘It’s in our hands,’ has made me think about more of what I can do,” she said.
