by Maggie He (Class of 2018)

On Saturday October 14, 2017, students at the Developing Virtue Girls Secondary School participated at Ukiah’s annual Taste of the World festival sponsored by the Tree of Life Charter School. By bringing in different cultures and cuisines donated or contributed by many people in the community, the festival brought together everyone of different backgrounds and ethnicities.

Due to the recent tragic events of the Northern California fires, the festival was altered slightly as there were unfortunately no performances this year. However, with a communal effort by everyone involved in this project, the festival was still able to be a huge success. There was a food-serving booth in which a large variety of food was served for free to anyone who wanted it, thus allowing everyone to enjoy the festivities. To celebrate the many different cultures, there were different arrays of food options—from pasta to Chinese spring rolls, Mediterranean dolmas to Persian baklavas; there was plenty for people of different tastes to enjoy.

The girls had prepared some care packages beforehand to hand out at the school booth during the event which included extra clothes and shoes for anyone who might be in need of them due to the fires. In addition, a few girls helped cut and prepare the fruit salad in the kitchen booth as well as help serve the foods when lunchtime came.

Maggie He (12), Jolie Ng (12) and Cindy Han (11) preparing fruits and serving at the food booth

In times such as these, being able to have an event such as the Taste of the World Festival to bring everyone in the community together is truly a wonderful thing and the students at the Girls’ School were grateful to have contributed and been a part of it.

Photos by Amy Nguyen (Class of 2022)