“My AMIGOS experience in Costa Rica ’87, Michoacán, Mexico ’88, Costa Rica ’89, and Manabí, Ecuador ’91 quite literally changed the trajectory of my personal and professional interests, and my life in a profound and positive way. My work in international development for over 20 years, and interest in community development and impact initiatives, was sparked while working along local community leaders and organizations to enhance and improve the well-being of children and families on diverse initiatives in Latin America. My experience with AMIGOS helped me understand that I had a part to play in the vision of change we want to see in the world. This photo was taken during Ecuadorian President Sixto Durán Ballén’s visit to Portoviejo, Manabí where our summer country office headquarters was based when I served as Project Director in 1991. When I learned that President Sixto was in town for the day, I resolved to find a way meet him. One of my AMIGOS Project Staff at the time said that it would be “impossible” to meet the President at the last minute, and due to the President’s security. And in that very moment, I realized that it was important to demonstrate the importance of not being confined or deterred by our doubts to my Project Staff who had incredible leadership potential to return with AMIGOS as Sr. Staff themselves – we had to give it a try. In addition to meeting President Sixto, we met the Minister of Health and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. And AMIGOS volunteers vaccinated 30,000 cats and dogs against rabies that summer, in a mere 6 weeks. AMIGOS no longer undertakes rabies vaccination programs. AMIGOS has transitioned to new models of impactful programming which I support wholeheartedly, in addition to its sustained cultural and language immersion experience with host families – which makes the AMIGOS experience unparalleled to any other I have seen.”

-Raquel Wexler, ’87; ’88; ’89; ’93; 10/19/20