“Music was a very meaningful aspect of my time at UWC-USA,” said Nicole Paulet Piedra ‘09. “It was one of the experiences through which we brought our stories with us, and expanded each other’s worldviews, with curiosity and openness.” Before attending UWC-USA, Nicole had little experience with music and got involved at the urging of her friend Emma and Ron Maltais, UWC-USA’s music instructor at the time. Originally from Peru, she credits the music and other Community, Activity, Service (CAS) programs in Montezuma with fostering the curiosity that drives her work as an advocate and curriculum specialist for literacy programs for low-income families in Brazil.
In her work she focuses on helping children improve their literacy skills by helping teachers teach more effectively and encouraging the curiosity that helps both students and teachers learn and grow. She bases this aspect of her work directly on CAS programs at UWC-USA. While her experience as a Wilderness leader provided opportunities for dramatic growth, performing in concerts also gave her the chance to engage her community in ways she never had before.
“In one Castle Concert,” she said, “I performed a series of traditional Peruvian songs alongside my two first-year countrymates. I invited some of the people who attended the soup kitchen in Las Vegas where our CAS took place, and it was a very special way to strengthen the bonds between the Montezuma and Las Vegas communities.”
CAS continues to be a program area that provides opportunities for students to stretch themselves while making the most of the history, culture, and people of Northern New Mexico.