My name is Layla Baynes, and I am a rising sophomore at UCLA, where I am double majoring in Economics and Chinese. Although this summer marks my first official internship with Pacem in Terris, my connection to the organization began years ago. As a child, I helped my family hang artwork for the Annual Youth Peace Art Exhibition, and in high school I became more involved by creating artwork and volunteering behind the scenes. Those early experiences introduced me to Pacem’s mission of building peace through art, education, and community dialogue, and inspired me to continue giving back.
One experience that truly shaped my perspective was helping plan the Annual Peace Speaker event as a member of the Development Committee. I learned firsthand how much work goes into fundraising, sponsor outreach, and coordinating a community event. Seeing everything come together was incredibly rewarding. Listening to Dr. Christina Watlington engage with people from different backgrounds and create a space where everyone felt heard showed me the power of meaningful dialogue. I left the event with a deeper appreciation for the importance of bringing communities together and creating opportunities for healing and understanding.
As a summer intern, the lesson I value most at Pacem in Terris is the importance of building relationships and continually learning. One of my most meaningful experiences was helping secure Huxley and Hiro as the exclusive bookseller for this year’s Annual Peace Speaker event. Rather than simply reaching out by email, a member of the Pacem team suggested I arrange an in-person meeting with the bookstore owners. Partaking in that conversation showed me that partnership is more than accomplishing a task; it’s about understanding another organization’s mission, building trust, and creating lasting connections. I then truly understand that the success of Pacem in Terris’s is rooted in their passion to maintain genuine relationships and utilization of collaboration to continually improve their methods to better serve the community.
This internship has shown me that meaningful change happens through the dedication of people working together. As I continue to have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and be part of an organization that is making a lasting difference in our community, I look forward to continuing to grow alongside the incredible team at Pacem in Terris, and utilizing these skills throughout my career.