From Social Justice to Global Issues

By Sarah Hall, writer
Senior Dany Brun explores her passion for social justice.
Daniela “Dany” Brun ’22 spent her early childhood in Mexico, growing up in a community where women were expected to follow traditional roles. But Dany’s parents opened her eyes to the possibilities of building a life on her own terms. Her introduction to Model United Nations in sixth grade revealed to her how people live across the globe.

It was the beginning of a passionate exploration of social justice and world cultures for Dany. She carried those interests when she joined La Jolla Country Day School in her junior year. At LJCDS, she has seized opportunities to help organize school events that encourage sometimes difficult conversations about social justice issues and explore global topics.

“I have a lot of curiosity within me, and I just want to understand how people think around me,” she says. “I think, through that understanding, I’ll become a better person, and I’ll be able to help others understand people around them.”

Dany spent her first semester at LJCDS on Zoom amid the pandemic. Once school resumed in person, she dove in. She joined Model United Nations, attending conferences around the world and earning multiple awards and recognitions, including Best Delegate. Dany served as a student leader in Making History Alive, a Holocaust education program, and later used her knowledge from the program to create a lesson plan on antisemitism and the Holocaust for the ninth-grade class. 

As a member of LJCDS’ Student Diversity Leadership Committee (SDLC), she is passionate about raising awareness and encouraging dialogue about social issues. Dany helped spearhead two Hope Conferences, an annual event that helps students gain insight into their peers’ identities and their own identities through thought-provoking panels and workshops. She has led conference discussions, including myths about depression and the LJCDS Latin American student experience. “I really love that we have that,” she says. “It recognizes that there is diversity within our community.”

Through her involvement with SDLC, Dany helped plan the 2022 Regional Student Diversity Summit, a diversity conference organized by student leaders from The Bishop’s School, Francis Parker, LJCDS and Pacific Ridge. “It was refreshing to be in a group where everyone contributes a crucial piece of themselves to the discussion.” 

Next, she’ll take her passion for learning more about others and the world around them to Claremont McKenna College. She plans to major in international relations and sociology with hopes of becoming a human rights attorney. 

“As I learn more about different perspectives and different social justice issues, I gain confidence in sharing my experiences and having these conversations, so I can form educated opinions,” says Dany. “I definitely can always learn more.”
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