La Carta Category: Alumni Stories

Hadley Kyle, a volunteer in Michoacán, México in 2006, shares how her AMIGOS experience led her to a completely unexpected lifelong friendship.   I first heard about Amigos de las Américas during a presentation in my Spanish class in 2005, at the beginning of my 10th grade school year. I had spent a couple of … Read More

Choose to be a part of something bigger and impact a young person’s life by immersing them in your world. Here are some testimonials from participants who had their lives changed by living with a host family through the Youth Ambassadors program:   Catalina: “It was an amazing experience. I will never forget when three … Read More

Millions of high school students are unaware of how we have the power to create change in our communities. I was one of them. We find ourselves trapped in monotonous daily routines and there simply isn’t a lot of time to think about changing the world or making a difference. AMIGOS, however, taught me that … Read More

Marion Gibson, a two-time AMIGOS alumna, shares how her second summer abroad taught her the power of laughter to bridge language barriers and what truly lies at the heart of human connection.   What does it mean to feel at home in a foreign place? What is it like to come to understand people so … Read More

SHARE YOUR AMIGOS STORY! We invite all Summer 2018 project leadership team members and participants to submit photos, videos, and/or blogs about their AMIGOS experience. We’re looking for amazing action, cultural, and scenic photos that tell your AMIGOS story, videos that spark interest in the program, or blogs that capture your unique experience. Check out our … Read More

I’m back in the States now, and I can officially say that I have experienced Yucatan, Mexico. I got the amazing experience to live in a small (1,100 people), yet very exciting and interesting community called San Antonio Chun (It may be “Chum,” we never actually figured that one out). I lived with a wonderful … Read More

Although I don’t like to admit it, I’m the kind of person who likes to have things figured out. Ever since I was in middle school, my favorite subjects were science and math because there was never any ambiguity. Two plus two equals four. There is no grey area. The comfort I have in certainty … Read More

In Pilapuchín, a community of 400 tucked high in the Ecuadorian Andes, the local equivalent of the PTA does not get a summer break. As I stood up to address the group in the school courtyard, I could feel the eyes of the fedora-clad locals on me. There I was, thousands of miles away from … Read More

Melanie went to Nicaragua in the summer of 2011. She joined AMIGOS through our partner Rice University as a Loewenstern Fellow. We caught up with her to learn more about her trip and what she learned. What was your project? My project partnered with CARE in the Department of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Through this partnership, I … Read More

Maren is a two-time AMIGOS alum and will serve as a Project Supervisor this summer in the Dominican Republic. Here, she reflects on how she got involved in AMIGOS and the impact it had on her life.   When I first traveled to Panamá as an AMIGOS participant in 2015, it was for all the … Read More