SUNY New Paltz student Beth Gebresilasie ’23 was recently featured on The Moth Radio Hour – a program airing on more than 500 stations nationwide, and rebroadcast as one of the world’s most downloaded podcasts – where she shared her story of frequent international travel and the importance of finding a “home.”
“When people ask me where I’m from, I usually say it’s a long story,” said Gebresilasie. “And it is.”
Gebresilasie’s family moved often during her childhood. She lived at various times in the African nations of Eritrea, Sudan and Uganda, before later moving to Arlington, Virginia, and then to New York City. Her exposure to different cultures has informed her worldview and fostered her commitment to storytelling. The connections she made with other people along the way inspired the story she shared on the popular podcast.
“The way they changed me imprinted my soul,” she said. “I learned to find permanence in impermanence.”
Gebresilasie’s narrative was featured on a special live edition of The Moth, with five stories showcasing the graduates of Moth High School storytelling workshops in New York City. The piece celebrated student stories of first kisses, culture shock, finding a niche and baking apple pie.
The mission of The Moth’s Education Program is to promote the art and craft of storytelling and to honor and celebrate the diversity and commonality of human experience.
During high school, Gebresilasie participated in the Sadie Nash Leadership Program and the Africana Understandings club. She also worked as an intern at the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. She is currently exploring her interest in the arts at SUNY New Paltz and hopes to work towards a career that will allow her to give back to her community.
