August 20

This week's Spotlight goes to High School junior & founder of The Latinx Journal, Carolina Mejia!

Carolina started school at Nido this semester, and even though she is currently in Colombia, eagerly awaiting her trip to Santiago, she has become an active member of our community and is fully immersed and engaged in her first year of the IB Diploma Program (IBDP). For her CAS Project, she will continue an ambitious project she began last year during the pandemic called The Latinx Journal (instagram.com/thelatinxjournal/).

“The Latinx Journal is an online platform dedicated to raising marginalized voices in Latin America. As my interest in world events rose, I realized that Latin America is often cast aside in the media. News, culture, history, and innovations that come from the region are often neglected in the eyes of the global stage, and I decided that all the beauty in the region had to be shared,” says Carolina. “The Latinx Journal is both an Instagram page and a website. On the Instagram page, we post facts, news updates, and events, while on the website we post monthly articles that delve deeper into important topics connected to Latin America. The website, however, is also a place dedicated to empowering voices, so anyone who would like to contribute can submit an article for consideration. Topics do not have to be confined to Latin America. As long as you have a message and a passion, you are welcome to contribute!.”.

This Nido student explains that these past few weeks she has started to experience the IBDP for the first time, and although the program is notably rigorous, she believes it is extremely well-rounded. “From CAS Experiences and Project to Extended Essays, the program offers much more than its core courses. I am excited to see what the next 18 months will bring!” she adds.

Even though her schooling is keeping her busy and motivated, she explains that distance learning has been complicated and she is eager to arrive in Santiago for in-person classes. “Although I am a new student this year, I have already noticed the great support system that is present in the Nido community. There are countless opportunities to showcase your work, passions, and contributions, and find ways to connect with other people who share them!" she concludes.

We’re lucky to have Carolina as part of our community. Her passion for understanding how the world works and her adaptability are a true representation of #TheNidoWay and we can’t wait to welcome her to our campus. To learn more, visit https://latinxjournal.wixsite.com/website or their Instagram account: instagram.com/thelatinxjournal/.

August 27

This week's Spotlight goes to Nido alumni & founders of the platform Seminarios Espirituales, Sebastian ('13) and Benjamin ('17) Albagli!

Seminarios Espirituales is a free online platform that provides tools for spiritual growth through live classes and workshops. The brainchild of brothers Benjamin and Sebastian Albagli,

it has evolved into a dynamic community of thousands of members from all corners of the world, who gather weekly (some daily!) in search of the betterment of oneself, inner peace, and living a more fulfilling life, regardless of background, beliefs, religion, etc. They host over 20 activities a week such as meditations, safe spaces for insightful dialogue, tai chi & qi gong, among others. “The cornerstone of our project has become the “Sunday Seminar” where we approach a wide variety of topics within spirituality and consciousness, like best-selling self-help books, sources of ancient wisdom like the Tao Te Ching, and hosting the most renowned speakers and authors in the Spanish speaking world,” they say.

These Chilean siblings and Nido graduates explain that they created this space in the midst of the global pandemic in May of 2020. Due to life’s unexpected twists and turns, they were living under the same roof for the first time in seven years in Tel Aviv, Israel. Seba was doing freelance work while pursuing his Youtube-channel dream on the side, and Benja was finishing his semester abroad at the Hebrew University and trying to help Seba grow his online venture. One of Seba’s interviews for his channel planted the seed of creating a platform to study best-selling spirituality books. “We wanted to provide profound knowledge and community in a world of immediacy and superficiality,” says Sebastian.

These alumni have fond memories of their time at Nido. “There are so many things! Having the opportunity to explore my interests beyond the ‘curriculum,’ the openness and warmth of most of the faculty, the beautiful campus, the possibility of learning about new cultures and ways of seeing the world… but above all, I remember being happy in Nido and that will stay with me forever,” explains Seba. Benja adds that “Nido gave me one of the most valuable tools a human needs to tread his life journey: open-mindedness, it allows you to connect with others beyond your personal worldview.”

In fact, it was the open-mindedness that brought them to reflect on life’s purpose. For a long time, they had been in search of answers to the most profound questions in life like “why are we here?”, “what’s the purpose of life?” and “is there a way to be happy?. “During this journey, we faced many obstacles, but above all was the overwhelming feeling of not being understood for taking the road less traveled. Seminarios Espirituales is born as an answer for all of those souls that may have been ostracized for challenging the status quo and feel that there is more in life than getting a “good job” and ‘earning money’,” Benjamin adds.

And they have big plans for the future of Seminarios Espirituales! “We plan to continue nurturing our latest venture called Seminaristas, where we offer daily classes in what you could call a ‘gym for the soul.’ Our long-term goal is to become a foundation and make self-knowledge and self-love the utmost priority in every aspect of society, particularly in education and healthcare,” concludes Sebastian.

Thank you, Sebastian and Benjamin, for being such a great example of our Nido community. Your passion for thoughtful and respectful conversations and the importance of wellbeing is valuable to Chile and a true representation of #TheNidoWay. If you want to learn more about Seminarios Espirituales or join a free session, please visit www.seminariosespirituales.com.