I was recently recounting this story to a mutual friend (Rachel) and in doing so I realized how much Homaira has had an influence on my life from one small interaction. With the internet I stumbled upon this space and wanted to share... I was an acquaintance of Homaira from high school. One day I had an empty soda can in my hand and was about to toss it in the trash. Homaira looked at me and said that I should recycle it instead. At the time, there was no recycling at the school so that meant taking in home in your backpack and recycling at home. I looked at her, and said, okay, fine I will. Homaira must have noticed my casual tone because she grabbed my hand and looked me in the eyes and said, "you need to follow through with recycling it though. If you will not, I will take the can home and recycle it myself." I was so startled by her conviction and passion (and I think I recall her friends nearby nodding, as if to say, or maybe actually saying, yup, that's Homaira, she's pretty serious about this). In college and after, I became not only a dedicated recycler but a self-professed environmentalist and have evolved to live a low-impact and environmentally conscious lifestyle. I am saddened Homaira had such a short time here in this world, and I am so sorry to her family for her passing. I am forever grateful to her for unabashedly showing conviction and commitment to do what is right even if it is out of the ordinary or takes a little extra effort. She was a special person.
