Meet Danica
2022 Friendship Games Ambassador from Baltimore
July 28, 2022
Updated October 3, 2022
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I lived in South Carolina until I was five or six. Then I moved to Maryland. I lived in Colombia, Catonsville, Baltimore and, currently, I live in Randallstown. I live with my Nana and Pop Pop, also two younger brothers and one sister, but they’re all my foster family. I visit my dad on Thursdays. I have a twin sister; her name is Lauren, but she lives with another foster family. Because of moving to different schools a lot, it was hard to actually have friends, and I had to grow up fast and so I didn’t get the opportunity to joke and play around as much.
Like most African Americans, I grew up in church. Where I live, it’s quiet. Nothing really happens. It’s more of an older people community. There’s some kids but none of them are around my age. I like my neighbor. Sometimes I go over to her house and stay for some hours. I just graduated from the 8th grade. I’ll be going to Carver Center for Arts and Technology. I got into the literary arts magnet.
Q: What's the one thing that you'd want people to know about you?
That I'm very outgoing.
Q: Do you have a special talent that most people don't know about?
That I sing to myself. And I sing in the church choir.
Q: Who's your hero? Why?
My hero is myself. The reason being because I think I'm an inspirational person. I inspire myself even when I might feel low. There's always one part of me that can't stay sad forever. Like if I'm mad, I can't help myself but to smile in spite of everything.
Q: What do you think are the most important attributes of a leader?
Courage, because without courage, then how could you be a superhero?
Q: What are you most looking forward to about Friendship Games?
Just going in general, but also meeting other people and hearing their accents. Plus, trying new food.
Q: Will it be your first time on an airplane? In another country? If so, what are you looking forward to about visiting another country? How do you feel about traveling abroad without your family?
Yes, it is. First time on an airplane, and in another country.
Q: Is there anything you're nervous or unsure about going to the Friendship Games?
No, I'm not worried about anything.
Q: Why do you think PeacePlayers wants to bring together 130 young people from around the world?
That way we can celebrate our differences. And also to meet people that we might not be able to meet if we were here in America. And also just to build relationships with other people on the other side of the world.
Q: If you could do anything you wanted when you grew up, what would it be/what's your biggest dream for the future - for yourself, for your family, for your community?
The biggest dream for myself is to be rich. For my sister and me, I wish that we will have an unbreakable bond. For my community, I wish that one day judgment wouldn't be passed towards one another, and it would be somewhere safe and you wouldn't have to worry about something happening.
Q: What's it like in your city/town/neighborhood? How would you describe it to someone who's never been there?
Small, complex, simple. Some neighborhoods are bigger than others. But nothing really happens here. Some areas are more quiet than others. Especially when it comes to the single family homes. Those areas are quiet. But the townhomes or the apartments – that's the loud parts.
Q: If you could time travel for one hour, where would you go? What would you do?
Well, first. When it comes to time travel, you have to be very careful with that. But I would go back to the time when I was a baby. And I don't know what I would do. I think I would just reminisce over the times that I probably wouldn't remember because I was a baby. But then when I go back to the present, I would just look back on that, “Wow, that was me, and everything that my family said about me.” Like I had a mohawk when I was a baby. I ‘d be like, “Yeah, I had a mohawk.”
We followed up with Danica during the Games to hear about her experience in real time. Here’s what she had to say!
Q: What's the most important thing you learned this week during the Friendship Games?
Well, first. When it comes to time travel, you have to be very careful with that. But I would go back to the time when I was a baby. And I don't know what I would do. I think I would just reminisce over the times that I probably wouldn't remember because I was a baby. But then when I go back to the present, I would just look back on that, “Wow, that was me, and everything that my family said about me.” Like I had a mohawk when I was a baby. I ‘d be like, “Yeah, I had a mohawk.”
Q: Why do you think it's important to get out of your comfort zone?
It's important because there's going to be times where you have to step out of your comfort zone. You're not always going to be comfortable in places. And so I think this trip was a big opening for me. Before I would just be stuck in my own ways. And now I have a deeper connection with everything.
Q: Have you made friends from other sites? If so, what do you like about them? What do you have in common with them?
Yeah, I have definitely made friends from other sites. I think they're cool, they're actually great. It's nice meeting people from all over the world and hearing their accents, sharing what they come from or how they live, even how they go to school, like the different districts and everything.
Q: What's the thing you enjoyed the most? What was the most fun thing that you did this week?
The most enjoyable moment that I had was the Feel Beit celebration. I feel as though that was the party where everyone really got together as one in spite of our differences or where we came from. And it was just so great.
Q: What was it besides getting together with others that you enjoyed about Feel Beit?
What really did it for me was when the man flipped the dish over. That was amazing. And also, you know, learning the dances from the Middle East and hearing the girls speak from their experiences here, but also hearing what has to change here as well.
Q: Are there things that you learned here that you think you'll take home with you?
So I realized there were certain areas or like, for instance, when we were in the Old City, it was almost segregated. Something I would take from here back home is that I'm very blessed actually not to have to live in a certain area where like, okay, you have to be right here and we live here, and even though we don't like each other, we have to live with each other.
Q: What role do you think basketball plays in this experience and in building a global movement?
Basketball actually has a huge role in peace and PeacePlayers, even though they could have picked any other sport. I just think basketball has a way of bringing people together and people setting aside their differences. And just when you're on the court, none of that matters, right? Your race, your religion, your background. You're just here to play ball and have fun. That's it.
Q: What is the significance of being a person of color on this trip, for you?
I think being a person of color has a major effect on this trip for me, personally. I think not a lot of people like me get the opportunity to fly to Israel or even get out of the country. So I'm very blessed to have that opportunity and it's not something that you should take for granted or lightly.
