Experiences have a huge effect on learning, by physically engaging in an activity it allows one to connect their own feelings to the actual concept in question . When learning about a topic is linked to the student's internal experiences, it leaves a lasting impact. Such a strong impact that can translate into the motivation and own initiative of each person to make a difference. I felt this strong emotion when I attended the Walk to End Alzheimer's on October 11 in Atlantic City. The reason I decided to walk to fulfill the requirements of my advocacy project was because I had lost my grandmother to the disease a few years ago. My grandmother lived in Portugal and I was only able to see her every two years before she passed away. I didn't know much about the disease, and seeing it only in the later stages, I wasn't able to really understand what was happening. I knew that participating in this opportunity would help me understand what happened to him and do my part to raise awareness for others like me. Thus, I was able to improve my understanding of Alzheimer's disease by integrating all the information I received from the speakers during the walk with my own personal experiences that I had with my grandmother. Additionally, participating in this event helped me a lot to create some sort of closure and acceptance of my grandmother's passing. At first it was extremely difficult because I was overwhelmed with grief. At first, it was difficult to be surrounded by discussions about the illness that took my grandmother away from me and my family. However, the turning point for me was when they handed out pinwheel flowers of different colors that represented different things. I got a purple one because of the loss of a loved one and just saw my... middle of paper ...... support the fight to end this disease. In fact, another important point of the walk was that when we reached the halfway point, people passing by would ask us why we were walking. We told them that this event encourages awareness of Alzheimer's disease. They were so intrigued by the idea that they decided to come back as well. Having the opportunity to help create this much needed awareness was incredible. My goal is to actively start fundraising and participating in local events. This mission was much more than a project for me, I had this past experience that I didn't know how to explain but with the information I got from the walk gave me the motivation to research even more. I didn't know how much I needed this closure with my grandmother's passing, but now that I have it, I can move forward and continue to make a difference by raising awareness for Alzheimer's..