Special Thanks

When I first learned about what had happened and that Em was in the hospital I remember a battle raged in my head between shock and utter bewilderment. It was difficult for me to lose a cousin and the person in the family who was always one year ahead of me in school (what's high school really like? what's college really like?). Furthermore, when we weren't teasing each other about music (I was anti-Five), we were discussing a lot of things that revolved around understanding the world around us. Em was one of the first family members who genuinely became intrigued to hear about my individually designed major "Social Justice in Latin America" and we shared a great passion about getting involved and tackling the world with arms and hearts open. Words do not express the person that we lost and all the incredible things that were in store for her.

I have long been a proponent of Gandhi's saying - "Be the Change you Want to See in the World" and I know that Emily embodied this adage and accepted the challenge. The beauty of the foundation in Emily's honor is the perpetuity it allows for Emily's vision to be obtained. It is amazing the amount of lives that have been touched from Em's work and volunteerism and the foundation.

It is to my honor that the Emily C. Specchio Foundation has supported my global HIV project. I know in my heart, mind, and soul that Emily would be one of the first people at each family party picking my brain about every little aspect of each place I am going. The readers of this blog site should know that Em certainly lives on and that the foundation does justice to such a great and wholly beautiful young lady.

much love
Cousin Marco

One can read more about the project at http://regionalHIV.blogspot.com