YOUTH AMBASSADORS A lifetime of service begins with a three-week exchange Partners brings together youth ages 15–18 of limited means and/or limited international experience to build understanding among countries, increase leadership skills and develop a commitment to service. Youth engage with local government and civic organizations, build relationships with host families and their peers, and participate in skills-based training that enables and empowers them to mobilize their communities toward positive change. The Youth Ambassadors program is sponsored by the United States Department of State and implemented by Partners of the Americas. The 2016 program involves participants from Colombia and Venezuela traveling to Washington, D.C. followed by Tennessee and Arkansas in two separate and mixed country delegations.
Mentor Profiles
Arkansas Delegation Ángela María Betancur, 29 Ángela is a social worker at the University of Antioquia in Colombia and has more than five years of professional experience, most of which has been through working with young people with and without disabilities on issues concerning empowerment, youth leadership and prevention of gender-based violence. Ángela has also developed processes with youth not only in Colombia, but in the United States while she was Atlas Corps Fellow for a year and a half in the city of Washington, DC. There, she worked with young Latinos and African Americans in programs and projects related to mental health, peace building, substance use, and violence against women. She enjoys activities such as yoga, meditation, ecotourism, and loves dogs.
Milena Isabel Peña, 30 Milena is a business owner and education professional from Carabobo, Venezuela. She has a bachelor’s degree in education with a concentration in ESL and has extensive project management experience from concept to development. Milena has taught English to 6th graders at the Colegio Los Robles and at Animaginarte, a digital animation institute. Milena enjoys working effectively within a team and has a strong desire to inspire and lead individuals and groups of people. Motivated by her optimism and interests in education, she is enthusiastic about guiding this group of talented students on an unforgettable experience.
Youth Ambassadors Youth Profiles Ana Lozano Caballero, 16 Ana lives in Palmar De Varela, Colombia and loves to learn. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, painting and understanding diversity, whether it is cultural, religious, geographic or other forms of diversity. Ana wants to study international business and finance or psychology. Currently, she teaches lessons in schools to children to help them improve their academic performance and to learn values. In her school this year, she helped students register for election day as part of a club that supports the rights of students and women. As a Youth Ambassador, one of her main objectives is to share Colombian Caribbean culture. She hopes that this experience will allow her to grow as a person, so that she can bring many ideas back to her country.
Juan Felipe Rodríguez Alarcón, 17 Juan is from Villavicencio in Meta, Colombia and his favorite subjects are English, pedagogy, and philosophy. He loves arts & crafts, playing rugby and learning about other cultures. He firmly believes in the power of education to promote peace. As a volunteer, he has supported initiatives to beautify communities and to teach English. Additionally, Juan currently participates in the project, “Leaders of Peace” where the main objective is to promote peaceful relations. As a Youth Ambassador, he hopes to learn about history, democracy and much more. When he returns to Colombia, his goal is to share the knowledge he gained with his peers. He believes that this experience will help him make greater contributions on issues such as peace building and education in his community and country.
Kevin Hernan Otero Enríquez, 17 Kevin is from the city of Santiago de Cali, Colombia. Kevin’s favorite subjects are history, philosophy, economy, chemistry, biology, English and writing. In the future, Kevin would love to study global studies in the U.S. Since last year, Kevin has led sociological research projects in order to bring about change in their community regarding the concept of gender. As a Youth Ambassador, Kevin wants to build cultural bridges with other young people that foster change in communities by encouraging open attitudes towards collective learning. After the program, Kevin hopes to implement projects focusing on diversity and building peace in order to achieve a more sensitive, equitable, caring and tolerant country.
Youth Ambassadors
Lizeth Adriana Rubio Viasus , 16 Lizeth is from the city of Cúcuta in the Northern part of Santander, Colombia. She enjoys studying languages and biology. She currently works on various projects to improve her community including one called “Revolution” which seeks to bridge the gap between people using internet-related technology and those that do not. She would love to create a community project that promotes values among youth in her community. Additionally, Lizeth wants to study environmental engineering and pursue a career focused on caring for the environment. As a Youth Ambassador, she wants to share her culture, learn about initiatives addressing social issues, and to learn about U.S. culture so that she can bring new ideas and projects back to her community.
Juan Camilo Cardona Echeverry, 16 Juan Camilo lives in Santa Rosa de Cabal, Colombia. He is passionate about English, biology and chemistry. Some of his favorite hobbies include listening to music in English and cooking. He believes that both activities help him strengthen his learning and shape his thinking and creativity. He gives back to his community by conducting educational outings for children with limited resources, offering food and clothing to shelter residents, and by volunteering at the city fire department. As a Youth Ambassador, Juan is interested in learning about American culture and opening his mind to a different lifestyle. Additionally, he hopes to set an example by motivating all young people in his community to serve and fight for their dreams.
Yvel Stephani Camacaro Tavio, 16 Yvel is from Mene Grande in Zulia, Venezuela. In school, she loves to study English, literature, physics and Earth sciences. Yvel’s hobbies include playing volleyball, traveling, photography and learning how to play the piano. Currently, she is the head of her local student brigade which dedicates a lot of time to serving her community by cleaning green spaces, collecting food and clothing for the homeless, and organizing toy drives for children. Yvel was inspired to become a Youth Ambassador because she wanted the opportunity to strengthen her leadership skills, challenge herself in new ways, learn about teamwork, and immerse herself in a new culture. After the program, she wishes to organize recreational and educational activities for children that teach life skills and raise awareness about drugs and early pregnancy. She would also like to create a program for orphaned children and build an animal shelter.
Youth Ambassadors
Angel Miguel Guillen Altuve, 17 Angel is from Mérida, Venezuela and his interests vary from biology and history to literature and physical education. During his free time, Angel loves to listen to music, play trova and heavy metal on the guitar, read, exercise, and play videogames. His volunteer activities include visiting hospitals and nursing homes where he and his peers play with children, talk to the elderly, and organize toy drives. His dream is to become a doctor and to improve the education system in his community. As a Youth Ambassador, Angel wants to share his values and culture with the people he meets in order to build friendships and work together towards common goals. He is also interested in learning new ways of how to live up to the Partners of the Americas slogan: Connect, Serve, and Change Lives.
Jean Franco Rendon Villarroel, 17 Jean Franco lives in Cumaná City, Sucre in Venezuela and his favorite subjects in school are English, physical education and computer lab. He envisions himself earning a degree in technology, becoming an Olympian in martial arts, and going on tour to play his music. Currently, Jean volunteers at his local Red Cross where he serves as a youth brigadier supporting public health and first aid activities. He wants to improve his community by raising awareness about teenage pregnancy and creating partnerships with organizations to address the issue. During his experience in the Youth Ambassador program, he’s looking forward to fostering cross-cultural exchange and dialogue with the people he meets.
Joandriz Andreina Gonzalez Arias, 17 Joandriz Andreina is from Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela. At school, she loves to study Math and English and during her free time, her hobbies are drawing, reading and recycling. In the future, Joandriz sees herself studying geophysical engineering, opening a university or high school, and creating her own innovative business. She has been actively engaged in different volunteer activities which include tutoring children and teens in Math and English, saving and feeding dogs, and teaching friends different ways to use recyclable materials. She believes that education is the key to improving her community and that it’s important for people to understand the value of reading. As a Youth Ambassador, Joandriz wants to learn how to better express her ideas, immerse herself in U.S. culture, and strengthen her English language skills.
Youth Ambassadors Marina de los Angeles Chirinos Alvarez, 17 Marina is from Carora, Lara in Venezuela. She enjoys studying English, chemistry, math and biology and aspires to become a doctor. Marina also loves learning about other cultures and wants to travel the world. Swimming and photography are her favorite hobbies. At her school, she helps support environmental awareness initiatives and she also regularly cares for the elderly at the “Casa Hogar San José.” Marina wants to engage and organize her community to launch a project supporting street children so that they can be included in society and have access to food and an education. She believes that building a better society is as simple as taking action to help others in need. Marina was inspired to become a Youth Ambassador because she believes that the opportunity would allow her to strengthen her social values, challenge herself, and demonstrate the potential of Venezuelan people.
Mentor Profile
Tennessee Delegation Pablo Antonio Betancourt Bolívar, 28 Pablo Antonio is from Caracas and is teacher at the Madison Learning Center in Sucre, Venezuela where he teaches English, math and science to children in 4th – 6th grades. He has basic language proficiency in French, Japanese, and Russian and a minor degree in Modern Languages. Pablo recently graduated from Alejandro de Humboldt University where he studied international trade. Before becoming a teacher, he worked as an interpreter. Pablo is passionate about education, the environment, and human rights and currently volunteers with the Huellas CCS Foundation which helps find homes for abandoned animals. Pablo aspires to broaden his youth development experience and is excited to be a Youth Ambassadors Mentor because he believes that this cultural exchange will be an enriching opportunity for the youth and himself.
Youth Profiles Juan Diego Montiel Fula, 16 Juan Diego is from Maracaibo, Zulia in Venezuela. Dancing and playing basketball, soccer, and videogames are his favorite hobbies. He is passionate about caring for the environment and regularly participates in recycling activities. Juan aspires to own his company in the future and would like to improve his community by rescuing green areas and by providing homes for abandoned animals. In addition to strengthening his English language skills, he hopes to foster cross-cultural understanding and dialogue with the people he meets.
Youth Ambassadors
Clara Lucía Parra Nieto, 15 Clara lives in Soledad, Colombia. Math, English and social studies are her favorite subjects and her hobbies include reading, hiking, biking, and studying foreign languages. In her spare time, Clara participates in climate change and recycling awareness campaigns. She also tutors elementary school students so that they can improve their academic performance. As a Youth Ambassador, Clara aspires to learn about inclusion and develop cross-cultural competency. After the program, she would like to encourage others to be positive agents of change by sharing how working for and with communities is beneficial.
Juan Felipe Mejía Zapata,15 Juan Felipe is from Apartadó in Antioquia, Colombia and enjoys studying English, Spanish, philosophy and math. He loves to serve his community by raising awareness about the importance of caring for the elderly. With the help of three friends, he recently made a film to tell the story of the disparities between the elderly that have support from their family and those that do not. Additionally, in collaboration with his chemistry teacher, he launched a project using waste bananas for the environment. As a Youth Ambassador, Juan Felipe aspires to learn as much as possible during his experience so that he can share it with his community.
Iliana Linares Hurtado,16 Iliana lives in Quibdó, Colombia and her favorite subjects are chemistry, mathematics, physics, and English. In the future, she dreams of becoming an aerospace engineer. Currently, Iliana is a student representative of her high school and regularly volunteers her time to work with children of limited means. As a Youth Ambassador, she hopes to learn about innovative projects that improve people’s quality of life and she would like to start an organization led by youth because she believes that youth need to empower themselves in order to address social problems in the Colombian Pacific region where she is from.
Youth Ambassadors Yosa Yulithza Trillos Arciniegas, 16 Yosa lives in the city of Bucaramanga, and her favorite subjects are ‘Ethics and Values’ and English. She is a member of the youth group of the Holy Trinity Parish which supports the needs of children with disabilities. Yosa enjoys all activities related to caring for the environment and has planted flowers in her school to beautify it and create more green spaces. As a Youth Ambassador, she is thrilled to learn more about American culture and understand new contexts, but above all, practice English every opportunity she has. When she returns home, she also plans to share all the knowledge she acquires throughout the experience with her community and implement new ways of collaborating with people and caring for the environment.
James Freddy Palacios Ruano ,16 James Freddy is from Pasto, Colombia and likes to sing, dance, draw and play the guitar. Since he was 11 years old, James began volunteering with other young leaders to raise awareness in Pasto and Nariño about sexuality and substance abuse treatment. He especially enjoys working with children since they motivate him to continue fighting for their education. James currently teaches English to children ages 2-5. He hopes to continue contributing to his community by leading initiatives that promote education for peace. He believes that the Youth Ambassadors program will help him improve his English language skills, gain an understanding of international relations, and will have a greater impact on his life in general.
Lisbeth Karolina Dugarte Peña, 17 Lisbeth Karolina is from Mérida, Venezuela and she volunteers at two animal shelters and a hospital. At the shelter, she helps provide food and medicine to the animals while also participating in adoption campaigns. Her dream is to become a veterinarian and open her own animal shelter. At the hospital, Lisbeth works with patients of all ages but she especially enjoys working with the elderly. She is also passionate about caring for the environment and would like to launch a project to promote better trash management and to preserve gardens and parks in her community. In her spare time, Lisbeth enjoys drawing and painting. Lisbeth understands that her role as a Youth Ambassador involves responsibility, leadership, and a commitment to service. During her experience in the program, she aspires to live up to these qualities.
Youth Ambassadors
María Isabel Silva Rodriguez, 17 María Isabel is from San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela. Her interests include English, earth science, biology, geography and history. She is also a musician and loves to play the guitar, harmonica, piano, bass and drums. Additionally, Maria enjoys cooking typical Venezuelan food. She is family-oriented and enjoys spending time with her friends. María dreams of traveling the world after completing her studies and plans to improve her community by promoting the importance of learning English and understanding other cultures. As a Youth Ambassador, she not only wants to represent her country and share her culture, she is also interested in learning about the history of the U.S. and improving her English.
Francisco Javier Delfin Bastidas, 16 Francisco lives in Independencia-Yaracuy, Venezuela and enjoys studying psychology, jogging, playing baseball, dancing, and reading. He has been actively engaged in promoting values to children in his community by teaching English and serving as a teacher assistant at his high school. In the future, Francisco wants to become a psychologist and aspires to learn more languages. As a Youth Ambassador, Francisco is excited about gaining more volunteer opportunities and meeting people with common interests and hobbies.
Pedro Pablo Lanz Bordones, 16 Pedro is from Bolivar City in Bolivar, Venezuela and his favorite subjects are English and Biology. During his free time, he plays the cuatro and flute and reads about the latest trends in technology. Pedro wants to become a doctor which combines his two passions – helping people and science. Pedro supports Mano Amiga (Friendly Hand) which organizes parties and collects food and medicine for children at the town hospital. He is also passionate about education and believes that society can be improved by ensuring that everyone has access to higher education. As a Youth Ambassador, Pedro wants to represent his country, learn about American culture, and show the strengths and passion that youth possess to lead change.