Stories from Spain: Exploring the Mercado de León

Written By Washington State Leadership Board

By Jennifer Aguilar Bamaca, 2019 cohort

On Sunday, July 13th, we met at the Centro de Idiomas. It was a sunny day. We walked to the plaza mayor, which is big and beautiful but this was the first time I’ve seen it so full. There were many stands of fruits, vegetables, you could find anything there. It was like a swap meet.

We gathered together in a corner and the two instructors told us that we were going to play a game. There were two teams. We had 10 questions. To answer the question, we kind of had to look for the answers. It was like a scavenger hunt. In my team we had Ariana (our captain), Justice, Cierra, Brian, Luis, Mackenzie, and me. We had to answer all the questions and the first team to come back to the corner would win. The questions were like, “find the cheapest cherries,” or “how much for a jar of honey.” It was questions for us to get to know the place. It was really fun and we found everything so fast. My team made it back first. We actually had to wait for the other team. For our prize we got high fives.

After the game we had free time. I went directly to the jewelry stand. Then I went to another jewelry stand and I compared the prices. I went back to the first stand and bought one ring and 2 earrings for 10 euros. In the second stand I would’ve gotten one ring and an earring for 10 euros. See the difference? I was very happy with what I bought.

Washington State Leadership Board

The Washington State Leadership Board, a trustee agency of Washington State, specializes in delivering equity-focused leadership programs for the State of Washington. It is best known for bestowing official honors on behalf of the state, such as the Washingtonian of the Year, as well as the following free youth leadership programs. These include:

Washington World Fellows, a study abroad + college prep program for high school students

Boundless Washington, an outdoor leadership program for young people with disabilities

Compassion Scholars, an experiential travel program aimed at promoting compassionate leadership

The Washington State Leadership board was originally founded in 1971 by then-Lt. Governor John Cherberg as the “Association of Washington Generals” with the goal of recognizing service. Today, the Leadership Board continues its long legacy of recognizing service while also working to cultivate leadership among Washingtonians through its annual awards events and its statewide leadership programs.

In 2005, the State Legislature codified the organization in state law, charging it with a number of important roles: the members of the Leadership Board act as “official ambassadors of trade, tourism, and goodwill for the state”, and must work to “expand educational, sports, and employment opportunities for youth, veterans, and people with disabilities.” The Legislature also linked the Leadership Board with the Office of the Lt. Governor, creating a close partnership between the organization and state government. Later, the State Legislature established several programs the Washington State Leadership Board administers into state law, including the Washington World Fellows and Boundless Washington programs as well as the Compassion Scholars.

https://www.washingtonleaders.org
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