I sat in the Starbucks next to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru. Yes, Starbucks. In my defense, it was the last week of a five month trip through Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. At this point, it felt nice to be somewhere that felt somewhat familiar.
Four of my five months in Latin America were spent in Santiago, Chile. Through VE Global, I worked at Hogar Posada del Niño (simply Posada to VE folk), a residential home for boys removed from their homes by court order. Now, sitting there with my iced coffee and journal, I had some time to write reflectively on my memories of Posada, my favorite place in Santiago.
I was soon absorbed in recollections of a typical day there. Our team of volunteers would arrive sweaty and cranky after a forty minute bus ride from the city center. Revitalized by the energy of the children (or was it the water balloons?), we would lead them through an array of activities and workshops – homework help sessions, cooking classes, field trips to local parks, impromptu break dancing parties, and, unfortunately, daily soccer matches. The boys made sure I was aware that I was terrible at soccer. The grandiosity of Machu Picchu and serenity of Lake Titicaca had moved me, but it was these moments at the boys’ shelter that had been the most transformative.
My iced coffee long gone, I wrapped up my thoughts in my notebook and continued my travels through Peru. Solo travel on the final leg of this trip allowed for plenty of time to reflect. While wandering through the narrow streets of Cusco and watching ships drift on the horizon from the shores of Lima, I wondered how I would continue to advocate for disadvantaged youth back home. My experiences, supplemented by VE Global’s extensive trainings, lectures, and discussions on early childhood development, made me eager to continue my work with children in marginalized communities in a more local context.
I had applied and been accepted to law school while away. In addition, I had secured a job as a paralegal at a big law firm. It had always been my dream to become an attorney, and it felt like I was making all the right steps in that direction. Working at Posada had changed me, though. Despite their incessant trash talk on the soccer field and rather innovative pranks, the boys at Posada had inspired me to take a chance and to continue to explore my new passion.
I now serve as a Program Coordinator with Mission Graduates, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that works to increase the number of college ready students in San Francisco’s Mission District, a predominately Latino community. I work with a local middle school to promote academic achievement among its students, many of whom from Spanish-speaking backgrounds. I will lead a class on leadership development, oversee after-school student enrichment programs, and tutor students on a daily basis. In many ways, my current job mirrors my experiences at Posada. Despite its location in the middle of a thriving, world-class city, we strive to ensure equal opportunity and support for every child, regardless of their ethnic or socioeconomic background.
I still intend to go to law school, and my experiences with VE Global and Mission Graduates will certainly inform my work as an aspiring civil rights attorney. With a deeper appreciation for the work of my peers and mentors who are active in the education field – teachers, tutors, counselors, mentors, advocates, and administrators – I hope to place a special emphasis in my legal work on equal access to education.
Toward the end of each day at Posada, I would walk down the street to a local rotisserie alongside my fellow volunteers – Giancarlo, Anderson, and Jesús – for a cheap chicken dinner. We would talk through the difficulties of the day and share funny stories while tossing our leftovers to stray dogs. These talks became a sort of ritual, a way of reconnecting with one another after a hectic day. In these moments, I saw in my fellow volunteers, now lifelong friends, what I saw in myself – transformation.
This experience connected us to a broader mission that we will carry with us to our communities (along with a newfound appreciation for the musical genius of Nene Malo). I remain committed to the mission of VE Global, and its vision of “a global community that ensures equality of opportunity for all children.”