We got a chance to sit down and talk with 2021 AMIGOS alum Brittany Santos. She joined our La Costa Project in Ecuador this summer and is now enrolled in the Social Impact Accelerator. Brittany is from Houston, TX, and is a student at Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School.
Amigos de las Américas [AMIGOS]:
Can you tell us why you chose to join AMIGOS?
Brittany Santos:
I chose to do AMIGOS because my whole family is Latin American, and I just wanted to focus on some of the issues my family had gone through. They’ve told me about it, but I’ve never really experienced it. And I’ve only heard it from them. I just wanted to see it, hear it, and live it for a couple of weeks.
AMIGOS:
And what made this program different from other programs in that regard?
Brittany:
What made it different is that we all went there for the same thing. My group was good and liked doing things as a community together. I feel like that really made it different because we were all there for one goal. It wasn’t like each person was working on something individually. We were all working together for something.
AMIGOS:
That’s exciting. What was the biggest thing you learned from participating this past summer?
Brittany:
The biggest thing we learned was that we need to start thinking about not only of ourselves and the United States but looking around in different countries to see what problems they’re going through because I think we tend to focus on things that are happening in the United States instead of Latin America. That was one of the biggest things, to just to learn more and not only focus on us.
AMIGOS:
What was the most valuable relationship you created this summer?
Brittany:
It was just with my whole group, including the people that housed us, our mentors, and the other teens, because once again, we were all there for the same mission. And for me, it was really hard to open up, because I’m really shy. It took me a while, but I built those relationships. I felt good about talking to my mentors.
AMIGOS:
And any funny memories? What’s your funniest?
Brittany:
One of them was one day when we went to the beach, towards the end of the trip. We were all playing and splashing water at each other. And then we started talking about what we look like, and we just started naming animals. I feel like that made a bond where we can joke around with each other, but be serious when we had to. Another thing was, we were volunteering in a town and a clown popped up out of nowhere! Also, towards the end of the trip, we were thinking back to the beginning and we were all awkward at first. Seeing how much we grew as a group together, it was funny to think about because at first, I was really quiet. My friends said at the beginning, I seemed so quiet, but now I am the loudest one here. I just found that funny.
AMIGOS:
I think that’s part of the whole point of the trip, right? To grow as an individual as well. What was the best piece of advice you’d give somebody who’s considering AMIGOS?
Brittany:
I think that people should just go for it! At first, I was really scared to leave my parents and live with people from all over the world, but I think that people should just go for it. If you are really interested in the theme of the project, then you should get involved and just go for it.
AMIGOS:
How did you first hear about AMIGOS?
Brittany:
My school requires us to do a summer program. They put us in touch with Discover U, which has partnerships with all kinds of different summer volunteer programs.
AMIGOS:
And what was the service project that you participated in this summer?
Brittany:
Our project focused on climate change and disaster recovery. We were able to repaint and sand off a community building that had been destroyed by a natural disaster. The next session of AMIGOS volunteers were able to finish the project. It was really impactful to see how we helped get the community building back up and running.
AMIGOS:
How do you think your AMIGOS experience will impact your future?
Brittany:
I’ve always wanted to help get people back on their feet. I feel like now I’ll be able to, like I said in the beginning, look outside the U.S. I feel like that’s going to help me with expanding myself into helping people, no matter where they live.
AMIGOS:
What are you doing right now? Are you in school still?
Brittany:
Yes, I’m a senior, so I’m working on college applications. My school does a corporate work-study program, so I do that once a week and I also have a job at Kroger. During my free time, I like to hang out with my family.
AMIGOS:
Good luck with your college applications! I know you stayed involved with AMIGOS by signing up for the Social Impact Accelerator. Why was it important to you to stay involved with AMIGOS?
Brittany:
It was important to me because with AMIGOS, we’re all working towards the same goal and the more people that are involved, the better it goes. I just want to be part of that, and I felt really comfortable with AMIGOS.
AMIGOS:
Why would you encourage other students to join AMIGOS?
Brittany:
It was really important for me to build those bonds. I know people that live everywhere now, even in Ecuador, but it was really important to build those bonds and stay connected with people across the world. It was also really important to see the diversity everybody brought to the group.
AMIGOS:
Do you find yourself using skills you developed on this program? And if so, how are you utilizing those skills?
Brittany:
Yes. I was able to get out of my comfort zone and put myself out there. I was able to get more involved in my community and actually speak out instead of keeping everything to myself. I was able to become a bigger person.
AMIGOS:
What value did this experience provide for you?
Brittany:
I was able to become a bigger person and create lasting bonds with people. Now we all have somebody to reach out to now and we can all work things out together.
AMIGOS:
I’d like to talk a little bit about the project you’re currently working on. I know it’s a lot different than the in-person project that you went to this summer, but, I’d like to ask you even though you’re super busy, why did you decide to apply for the Social Impact Accelerator?
Brittany:
During the summer, we looked at different problems that were happening in our community, but we didn’t have time to get deeply into each issue. That has made me actually think about the root causes of the issues we see. Joining the Social Impact Aceelerator was a good way to implement the project I want to do in my own community.
AMIGOS:
What is the issue that you want to address during the Social Impact Accelerator and why is it important to you?
Brittany:
I’m focusing on the community of my church, which is mainly Hispanics. I want to focus on education, because I know most of their parents weren’t able to get high education. So many of them are dropping out because they don’t have the support they need. I plan to hold tutoring events where they can ask their questions and create a hotline where they can reach out.
AMIGOS:
I’d like to understand what it was like to be on an AMIGOS program after a year of virtual schooling during the pandemic. What was it like to go from that to one of our projects?
Brittany:
It was kind of scary because I hadn’t been around people for the longest time, and now I’m just going to jump on a plane with them and go across the world. That was really nerve-wracking, but it was totally safe. I felt comfortable, we were all following our COVID protocols.
AMIGOS:
What is the most important issue facing the world right now? And what do you think young people can do to work to address it?
Brittany:
A major issue is helping people get back on their feet, because many people don’t have the resources to start all over again. There’s a lot to be done. I feel that being grateful for what you have is a big part of helping others because you can’t help others if you’re not taking advantage of what you have.
AMIGOS:
If somebody was trying to understand or trying to decide to go on an AMIGOS program, what would you say to them?
Brittany:
If people don’t care about others, the world is going to keep getting worse and worse. You can’t do anything about it until you learn about it or experience it. That’s where AMIGOS comes in, because you’re able to realize what you have by living a different life for a couple, three weeks. That’s a major part of how AMIGOS helps us and why people should participate.