We talked with EFC alum Ola Hadi. She lives in Citrus Heights, CA. She’s a 2023 Encamper and also accepted for 2025. She also works on the Program Committee for the 2025 Encampment.

If you were talking to a friend, what would you say to encourage them to apply? It was an unforgettable experience, every moment. I don’t think that I’ve been a part of anything that has such a diverse set of both participants and facilitators. Everyone came in with their own stories and all of the stories were valued and respected by everyone. They really prioritized creating a safe space. You’ll learn so much about social issues that you may already be passionate about, or social issues that you haven’t heard much about because it’s not being prioritized in our education right now. The fact that the location changes creates a wide variety each year for the curriculum. The program has deep connections and roots to everywhere they are hosted, so you are speaking with and learning from locals — people whose entire lives and families are there. (Inspired to apply or spread the word to your network? Click here.)

What did you learn at the Encampment? I learned a lot about undocumented immigrant rights. Being an immigrant myself, it’s really important to me. Probably my favorite part of the Encampment was the farmworker interviews. I learned a lot about different experiences and how people’s stories of migration vary. I have my own and the people we interviewed gave us a look into what their lives were and are like.

I learned a lot about cross-cultural communication and understanding where different people come from and what that means to them. That’s a skill that’s applicable no matter where you are, especially in a country as diverse as ours.

Why is the EFC important now? The Encampment is really important now — not that it was less before — but it’s a bit more amplified because of the current state of our political system. Things are daunting right now and it’s a confusing time. The Encampment is a space where you get to come in with your own views and opinions. No one is going to try to influence you, but they will ask you to break them down and explain them. You have your own platform, but you are also listening to other people’s voices. That exchange of opinions and perspectives is important in times [like now] where there’s a lot of division and misinformation.

Do you have a favorite memory or story? That’s only hard because there are so many. Obviously, there’s so much to gain in a more educational sense, but I don’t think people talk about how much fun it is. We do a lot of fun stuff. Every day, there’s break time and you are free to do what you want. We have recreational time where you get to go outside or stay inside and play with the other participants. While day trips were to learn from leaders in the area, we also had trips that were just for fun. I really loved going to the beach. I remember that another Encamper, Imani, and I loved the ocean. I think that’s one of my most treasured memory in life, not just at the Encampment — spending time in the ocean and feeling really safe with all the people I was with.

You are part of the EFC Program Committee. What’s that like for you? Working on the Program Committee is rewarding because I went into the Encampment the first time “blind.” I knew about the Pesticide-Free Soil Project, but I didn’t really know much about the rest of the curriculum. Now I’m being involved from the beginning and I hope that this year, I can take a more active role. I’m going to have a more rounded experience because I know what it took for us to be there — not simply enjoying the results. I might even get to see something that was my idea implemented or I might have a memory of the Zoom where we thought of an idea — seeing people enjoy it and learn from it will be rewarding. Also, all the Encampers were great, but the facilitators were as well and maximizing on my time with them on the Program Committee is important to me. I’m getting to hear a lot more because during the Encampment itself, they try to give the space for the Encampers to talk the most and learn the most. Being in the Zoom and able to hear a variety of opinions crossing two or three generations is really cool.

You have been accepted for a second year — what do you hope to get and give? The biggest testament to why people should apply is that I already went once and I’m participating again. I don’t know how much more convincing I could be! The reason I applied for a second time is 1) I know the curriculum is going to be different, so I’m not going to be experiencing the same thing over again, and 2) there will be new participants. My first year, a lot of the people were there for their second year. This time, I’ll be with a lot of people for whom it’s either their first or second year as well. I’m excited to hear from people from different parts of the country and maybe different parts of the world, too. My first year, I was so overwhelmed with the power of the program that I took on more of an observer role and I hope this year, with my work with the Program Committee, I can have a more active role and bring in things I want to talk about — I’m passionate about having a more globally focused curriculum. I think I have more to learn, more people to talk to, and more stories to hear and to tell.

What have you been working on in your community? I’ve had a tough year — I had a bit of a health scare and have been prioritizing my health, so I haven’t been as active a role in my community as I want or as I have been in the past. I did volunteer at a charity dinner for Palestine. I attended a camp that focused on environmental issues and spent three days scraping pine needles from a forest floor for wildfire prevention. Part of the reason I’m coming back to the Encampment is I think it will give me more inspiration and motivation and connections to other social justice-centered people, so I can have a more consistent role in my community.

Last year, I was president of a mentorship program at my high school that had a lot of community connection. Along with six other amazing, hard-working people, I was in charge of 400 freshmen, 90 mentors, and 20 staff members. We paired freshmen groups with upper-class groups and had free activities for them to help them be more active — it can be hard when you are just starting out. We prioritized diversity of programs and languages. We gave more thought to our applicants who spoke other languages. We had a lot of freshmen who were new to the country and maybe their English was not as strong as a native speaker yet. It was also the first year that we worked with the head of the Special Ed Department in our school, so we had disabled students for first time and they added a lot of value to the program with their own experiences.

What are you looking forward to — aside from the Encampment? This August, I am going to San Diego State. I have been taking introductory college classes at a community college. It’s been in a blessing to be able to do that as I recover my health and to reconnect with my childhood friends. I’m treating this year as a test run.

Is there anything I didn’t ask you that you would like to say? There’s a lot of diversity in the geographic, racial, gender, and sexual orientation of all the people in the program and there were facilitators who were born in a different country. Being a refugee, that’s important to me and it’s shaped who I am. Most of the participants, if not all of them, were all born in America, although there are a lot of first-gen immigrants in the Encampment, too. Most of the people in my life — my family and my friends — are all immigrants.

Before going into the Encampment, I thought that maybe I would never feel connected to people who were born in America and if I ever wanted to feel community where I live, I would have to move back to the Middle East or something. But after spending time with people at the Encampment, I gained a new-found appreciation for America, even though I’ve been here so many years. It was the Encampment that really gave that to me.

The Encampment will broaden your perspective on social issues, but also on interpersonal and personal internal struggles that you may have that you might not even know are going to be addressed. I didn’t expect to find that transformation in myself. It goes to show that you never know what’s going to happen. The most important thing is to go into the Encampment with an open mind and an open heart because that will influence your experience. You get to know people you would probably just pass by on the street, and you get to know them on such a deep level.

When I went back to my community, I thought, “If I knew everyone as deeply as I know the people at the Encampment, if everyone put that much effort into listening, then I think everyone would be much happier and more engaged.”

I really love the Encampment — coming back for a second year, the Program Committee, and the InterGen Cafés. I’m all in! Join us for this month’s InterGen Café on Saturday March 22. Click here for more information and RSVP.

Click for our 2025 recruitment reel.

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