Post Hurricane María Merit Badges
Hurricane María hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday, September 20th, 2017. What came next were very difficult and seemingly endless times for everyone. After a few weeks I found myself settling into a very strange routine and doing things that I had never really done before. Many of my peers were asking me to re-design their resumés to look for work--in and outside of the island--and it made me wonder if there was a way to communicate to hopeful employers of the new skills, knowledge, and even character that Puerto Ricans had acquired after the hurricane.These life skills seemed more important than listings GPAs or cliché work objectives. I made these merit badges to honor those who worked hard day after day and month after month to get their lives back in order, and to maybe bring a smile to someone's face with some snarky humor.
As I write this on the evening of Sunday, December 3rd, 2017, 30% of Puerto Rico is still without electric power, 10% is without water service, and it is estimated that by the end of the year, 200,000 Puerto Ricans would have left the island in search of better opportunities. I hope that they will wear their endurance in the face of great adversity as a badge of honor wherever they go.
¡Gracias!
