Venus Heidt Worjloh – Bridging continents and cultures
“I established a unique identity from a very young age, aware that my experiences and perspective would always set me apart.”
Venus is a German citizen. Her father is from Liberia, her mother from Germany. Her parents met in Asia and returned to Kehl, where she was born. Kehl is a small city in Southwest Germany connected to Strasbourg (France) by the Europabrücke (Europe Bridge). Her parents moved back and forth between Germany and the United States and permanently settled in Miami when she was 8. Venus is now 16. She has a younger brother, is fluent in English and German and regularly returns to Germany to visit her family. She is a Sophomore in the IB Program at Miami Beach Senior High-School and a National Youth Champion in “race-walking”. She came in 3rd in 2019 and 1st at the 2021 Youth National Championship making her a Gold Medalist. She plans to study International Relations when she graduates.
From a very young age, Venus was exposed to the differences and disparities between two very different countries, Germany, her homeland, and the United States. She faced the reality of being a colored girl in a predominantly white Germany and that of being an immigrant in the US, having to re-learn the language, re-adjust to very different educational systems, social settings and cultural norms after each move. Her unique background and exposure to what it means to be a vulnerable immigrant in both countries changed her outlook on life and forged her determination to have an impact across the globe, changing lives through diplomacy and applying her understanding of the world to greater global matters.
Venus is a leader in nearly everything dear to her, such as founding and leading Elevate M.I.A., being Student Council Vice President, being President of Amnesty International Club, leading teams throughout the southern states to increase voter participation as part of the “When We All Vote” organization, becoming a National Track and Field Champion, and being President of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).