La Carta Category: Alumni Stories

Rachael Cohen, an AMIGOS alum and former project supervisor, shares her most impactful experiences, the importance of cultural immersion, and how AMIGOS encouraged her to pursue global health in college. What AMIGOS programs have you joined? My first AMIGOS experience was in 2015 as a summer volunteer in Oaxaca, Mexico. Since then I have served … Read More

Allison and Blake are AMIGOS alums who met in Latin America, where they both volunteered as Route Leaders in Paraguay in 1991. Eventually, they got married and now they’re sending their daughter on a Discover AMIGOS program in 2019. Here’s the story of how they met and why they believe AMIGOS is important for all … Read More

Lauren is an AMIGOS alumna who spent last summer with AMIGOS in the Dominican Republic. After returning home to the United States, she was inspired to continue supporting her host community abroad. What AMIGOS project did you participate in? I went to the Dominican Republic last summer. I love sports and play basketball at home, … Read More

Former AMIGOS Youth Ambassador and Mentor, Project Supervisor, and Associate Project Director Felipe De los Santos shares his experience getting out of his element and building bridges across borders.   What AMIGOS programs have you participated in? I first heard about AMIGOS when I was 16 years old. I was volunteering with an AMIGOS Youth … Read More

AMIGOS Managing Director of Marketing and Communications and alumna April Hearne shares about her experience with AMIGOS in Mexico in 2008. She discusses the sustainability and lasting impact of an AMIGOS service project.   The AMIGOS Philosophy AMIGOS is a special organization for many reasons, but one that stands out is its commitment to sustainable … Read More

Maren Walsh, an AMIGOS alum and former AMIGOS project supervisor, shares her most impactful experiences abroad and how AMIGOS has changed her life, as well as shares advice to anyone interested in volunteering with AMIGOS. What AMIGOS programs have you participated in? I was a volunteer in Azuero, Panamá in 2015, and San Juan, Dominican … Read More

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