Name: Marisa Natalia Franco Aguilar

Social Media Handle/Username: Instagram: @natalia_francoa19

Introduce Yourself/Tell About Yourself: Who am I? It is a common question with a complex answer. To begin, I am a girl named Natalia from a small town in Mexico, which was raised with love and discipline. I will start my second year of college this September. I am currently studying Industrial Design in Galway. I enjoy baking, cooking dishes from different cuisines, travelling, taking photographs with my DSLR camera, swimming in the ocean, painting outdoors, and spending time in nature. My experiences, decisions and people who have touched my life had made me who I am today. If we share what we have learned in the way then we will grow together. I am always in constant change. Every day, I try to be the best version of myself and learn from my assertiveness and errors. I have this mindset that the things I do today will determine who I am tomorrow. Thus, to be who I want, I have to work on it today.

What Inspires You Every day? : Nature, I am amazed by her beauty, strength and generosity. Mother Nature provide us, and without her, we wouldn’t be who we are as a society today. Despite how much we had hurt her, she always stays strong and resilient. As a design student, I often find inspiration from nature for my projects; and as a tranquilliser when I feel anxious. Nature not only stimulates my creativity but also boost my energy and serenest my soul.

What is some words of wisdom you live by?: I have learned that it is okay not to be perfect. I am enough. We are love and light, don’t let anyone turn off your light and keep shining. Everything we have been through makes us unique, and that is why we have to embrace our differences. Life is a journey. It is not only about being happy; we need moments of sadness and anger to learn how to become better. Change is natural, keep transcending and hold on to your essence.

What is your ultimate goal in life? : Be the best version of myself, feel fulfilled with who I am and where I am in life, and share love and kindness. In order to have a positive impact on someone else’s life first, I have to learn how to love, forgive, challenge and respect myself. Thus, If I feel enough, if I don’t judge, assume, and I try my best, I can attract people with the same vibration and build deep relationships from there. Overall, we are here to spread love, knowledge and transcend together. 

How have you been during the pandemic and how has it affected you? : I was with my family in Mexico when the pandemic started. Today I am studying in Ireland. It has been a challenge since I have decided to move out to another country in a different continent by myself during this time. Overall, I am grateful because, despite everything, I have always had the support of my family and friends. I have all my soul needs, and I am happy where I am in life. Moving to a different country was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only I became more conscious about the world around me but, also I became mentally stronger. It was a challenge to socialise and create deep connections at the beginning of my journey in Ireland, but now I am thankful for the bright people I have in my life. Finally, I am amazed by how strong humanity is. We show our true faces in the darkest of times. So seeing how people take care of each other, sacrificed, and was resilient inspired me and made me grateful for life by itself. 

What is a message you would like to give others? : Try your best in everything you do, if you give your 100% you will not have the regret that you didn’t try enough, does not matter the results, if it is positive, it will be a reward for your work, and if it is negative, it will be a lesson learned. On the other hand, I invite you to follow the four agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, don’t judge, don’t make assumptions, don’t take anything personally and try your best in everything. Also, manifest what you want in life. If you act, think and say positive things, the universe will give you the same energy back. Never give up. It does not matter how many doors life close you. You only need a door open to succeed, be patient, resilient and always keep working hard for your goals and beliefs. 

What else would you like to tell others about you or your life?: I love photography. When I take a photograph is like freezing time. Thus, you could treasure a moment in time forever. I also like taking photos because it helps me be in the present moment and not remember the past or wonder about the future. How I said before, nature is one of my biggest inspirations. I not only enjoy taking photos of landscapes but also of little details in nature, like wildflowers. Because some times little details are the most beautiful things.