Meet the Youth Ambassadors from Bolivia and Perú!
From October 17 to 28, FIUTS welcomed the second cohort of students and mentors as part of the Youth Ambassador Program with Bolivia and Perú! This years’ participants traveled from South America to Seattle to study civic activism and multiculturalism through a partnership between the U.S. State Department, World Learning, and FIUTS.
As part of their studies and experiential learning, participants visited the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, attended the 12th Annual Northwest Teaching for Social Justice Conference, and created lessons for local schoolchildren on Global Ambassador Day.
The group also completed multiple service projects during their stay, including agricultural development work through Farmer Frog and community development work through Rainier Valley Food Bank, ACRS Food Bank, and Ballard Food Bank.
The Youth Ambassadors are now on their way home to Bolivia and Perú to complete innovative community development projects that utilize the knowledge and skill sets they gained through cultural exchange.
Continue on to read more about their interests and dreams for the future:
GUILLERMO ALEX GAMBOA HIDALGO // MENTOR //from Chiclayo, Perú
What do you love about your hometown?
The food, the people, the beaches.
What are your academic and personal interests?
I want to do a doctorate in education and know more cultures in terms of education.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to be a global English teacher to be able to teach English/Spanish around the world. I also want to run my own language center.
ALEJANDRA GABRIELA OROZCO NANDE // MENTOR // from La Paz, Bolivia
What do you love about your hometown?
The landscapes, food, culture, and how people work together.
What are your academic and personal interests?
I am a trilingual environmental engineer and industry administrator. I work in a project related to sustainable and resilient cities at the Catholic University of Bolivia and I am a lecturer as well.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to win Master and PhD scholarships so I can gain skills in development and project management. This way I can improve my country by mitigating the environmental problems that we are facing. I wish I could also create an NGO or fund that improves my country in topics related to environmental projects and education leadership.
CARLOS ANDRÉS OLIVERA CABALLERO // from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
What do you love about your hometown?
The hospitality: it’s our law. So in all my land we are happy people, always ready to help.
What are your academic and personal interests?
I love science so I want to study the career of biotechnology.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to discover the “why I’m here” and live for that reason.
LOURDES CAMILA ALVAREZ DOMINGUEZ // from Sucre, Bolivia
What do you love about your hometown?
The architecture because it’s colonial Also, I love all the history my city has.
What are your academic and personal interests?
I really want to study criminology.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to make a better world.
ANGELA VIDANGOS PARDO // from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
What do you love about your hometown?
There are many things that I love from my hometown. I love the hospitable people who are part of a beautiful land. I love the weather and the forests. I love the entertainment places, the restaurants, museums, and cultural places.
What are your academic and personal interests?
I want to study business administration and digital marketing.
What are your dreams for the future?
My dream is to study at a university in the United States. I think it would be wonderful to be able to graduate in the United States and return to my country and implement my knowledge.
JHIMMY ALEXANDER VEGA SAIRE // from Cobija, Bolivia
What do you love about your hometown?
The solidarity of the people.
What are your academic and personal interests?
Political science.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to be a better person and leader.
JOSÉ BEDREGAL CALA // from peno, perú
What do you love about your hometown?
People are very kind. They love their family, and they love spicy food.
What are your academic and personal interests?
To finish the IB Program successfully, study in the United States, enter MIT, and help my community.
What are your dreams for the future?
To visit different places/countries and work with many people from many cultures. Also, to change my community and my country.
MELISSA KAREN ARANA CADIZ // from Tarija, Bolivia
What do you love about your hometown?
I love that my hometown is so quiet and peaceful, I mean there is no traffic and it just takes you little time to visit all the places. And also I really miss my Mom!
What are your academic and personal interests?
I really like work related with cultures or meeting people from all over the world. International relations is one of my interests.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to be successful with my project and also inspire other people to create a better future.
BRAYAN CHUMPEN CARRANZA // from Cutervo, Perú
What do you love about your hometown?
Well I love my hometown, all the things, its landscape, its historical places. In this sense, I believe that it is a good place to live.
What are your academic and personal interests?
I want to be a civil engineer and to win a scholarship to study in the USA.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to be a good professional that can help all the world.
JIMENA VALERIA GUTIERREZ BAQUERIZO // from Huancayo, Perú
What do you love about your hometown?
People are friendly and nice, the food is delicious, and you can get that by a low price.
What are your academic and personal interests?
Economics.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to create more projects to improve my community and also inspire youth.
JOSÉ GABRIEL SANCHEZ BOZO // from Oruro, Bolivia
What do you love about your hometown?
I love the food and the people.
What are your academic and personal interests?
I’m not sure about the things that I would like to study, but maybe: environmental engineer, psychology, or gastronomy. And for that, I have to put all my effort in now to get what I want.
What are your dreams for the future?
For the future, I would like to study in another country because I like to travel and if I go abroad I will have the opportunity to do that while I study.
CZY DEL PILAR HUAMAN VARGAS // from Chachapoyas, Perú
What do you love about your hometown?
My family, friends, the weather, and the calm.
What are your academic and personal interests?
I would like to look for more scholarships and opportunities with people who can help me to study abroad at university.
What are your dreams for the future?
My biggest dream is one day to get a job at the UN or any international/worldwide organization and work helping people in need or vulnerable situations, or even in international relations with people of different ages.
RANDÚ JEAN FRANCO CERPA GARCIA // from Arequipa, Perú
What do you love about your hometown?
In my hometown we can find a lot of cultures where the citizens are really friendly. It makes you feel at home always.
What are your academic and personal interests?
I love math and also technology. These are the subjects that make me happy. If I have to decide now, I would like to study systems engineering or computer science.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to be happy. And the happiness is with my family, they are all I need. If I can be with them I will be happy.
JAROTT GUILLERMO RODRIGO MAREÑO // from Oruro, Bolivia
What do you love about your hometown?
My family is really lovely.
What are your academic and personal interests?
Industrial engineering after that being a specialist in pure physics.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to go back to the USA with another scholarship and get the Fulbright.
JORDI ALEX LASTAUNADO SÁNCHEZ // from Ancash, Perú
What do you love about your hometown?
My culture, family, friends, house, and animals.
What are your academic and personal interests?
I want to get new knowledge everyday and get another scholarship to go out and continue studying. I want to be an excellent professional in my field.
What are your dreams for the future?
I want to help all the people that live in abandonment.