Sunday afternoon, August 31st, 2025, Xintiandi — one of those sudden storms hits Shanghai. The streets of the Former French Concession have a level of cleanliness that a Latin American mind can’t relate to. One street was flooding, though, for a very simple reason: layers of fallen maple leaves covered the drains. Instinctively, almost disregarding the awkwardness of being judged by those around me, I rushed toward the drain and unclogged it.
Simple, effective, but nobody else did it. The freshmen in my company that day were, in their words, impressed. I understand that praise might come here and there, but it should never spoil the real intention of solving a problem for collective benefit — or, in parallel with Kant’s categorical imperative, doing the right thing as an end in itself.
This anecdote is one of many I could tell to convey some of my most important values that concern my public life: community, individual responsibility, and accountability. From the backlands of Minas Gerais to the kitchens of DKU dorms, self-initiative and collaboration are key factors in gaining knowledge, making connections, and creating common wealth. To grasp such benefits, these three values are starting points that should guide individual action and collective unity.
Hence, as a board member, I will continue our progress in solving issues with dorm storage alongside UEA, strengthen the provisions of the Kitchen Committee under ResLife, and push forward the next steps to improve micro-level waste management. Simultaneously and interconnectedly, my roles as Resident Assistant and representative of diverse clubs shall remain as the formal roots of my engagement with the DKU community.