Sr. Sánchez (David)

Colombia   |   Full Year   |   mao.sanchez@live.com

Sr. Sánchez lives in Bogotá with his parents and grandmother. Although he is an only child, he has grown up very close to other members of his large extended family and thinks of several of his cousins as his siblings. He also has a two-year-old pug named Beckham. 

Sr. Sánchez expects to graduate in April 2017 from the Institución Universitaria Colombia Americana with a bachelor’s degree in bilingual education. He recently completed his first student teaching at a public school in Bogotá where he was assigned to pre-school, first and second grade as an English science teacher.  It was his first experience working with children, and he truly enjoyed it while learning a lot from the students. He has also worked as an interpreter at educational fairs where he learned about the Amity intern program.  He feels this program will be a great opportunity to grow professionally, culturally and personally.

In his spare time, Sr. Sánchez playing video games, listening to music, taking pictures, camping, trying new foods and hanging out with friends.

Srta. Santos (Elisa)

Spain   |   Full Year   |   eli261994@gmail.com

Srta. Santos is from Santander, a small city in the north of Spain. She comes from a small family and lives with her parents and younger brother, Bruno. She also has a dog named Noa. 

Srta. Santos graduated this summer with a degree in early childhood education. She loves working with children and is the reason she decided to become a teacher. She has studied outside of Spain in the Czech Republic and Galway, Ireland. Studying abroad has made her realize she wants to continue traveling to meet new families and learn about new cultures and education systems. She is excited to share typical Spanish customs with her host family and students at Eagle Heights.

In her spare time, Srta. Santos loves to play sports. She believes sports help us to be physically and mentally healthy and plays sports daily. She also likes reading, traveling, watching movies and going to the theatre. Over the past 4 years, she has participated in several volunteer opportunities. Last summer she volunteered in several schools in Ecuador, and this summer she volunteered at an animal shelter.

Srta. Aguilera (Erika)

El Salvador   |   Full Year   |   erikakun7@gmail.com

Srta. Aguilera lives in a house with her parents, sister and brother. Her father is an ambulance driver and a lawyer. Her mother is a secretary. Her sister is studying to be a doctor and works at the National Hospital in El Salvador while her brother is earning a degree in science. They love spending time together.

Srta. Aguilera is studying for her bachelor’s degree in English at the Universidad Gerardo Barrios. While studying at the university, she has worked as a teacher for high school students and volunteered as a teacher’s assistant to gain practical experience. She hopes this opportunity will help her improve her English and become a better teacher.  

In her spare time, Srta. Aguilera likes to listen to music, play with her pets, talk with her family and friends, and read books. 

Sr. Abramo (Germán)

Spain   |   Full Year   |   germanbierzo@gmail.com

Sr. Abramo was born and raised in Carracedo del Monaterio which is a small village in the Northwest province of León.  He currently lives with his parents and has one sister. Near his village is Las Médulas, an ancient Roman gold mine that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 

Sr. Abramo graduated in May from the University of Valladolid with a degree in education.  While he studied at the university, he worked as a coach and has worked as a lifeguard and summer camp counselor. He has wanted to be a teacher since he was a child and loves teaching others, especially sports.  He hopes to learn a lot from the families and teachers at Eagle Heights.

In his spare time, Sr. Abramo likes to go out with friends and participate in sports like running or football. He loves all kinds of sports. He also enjoys traveling, meeting new people, watching movies and listening to music. He likes to keep busy and enjoys helping people with whatever they need. 

Sr. Vargas (Jordi)

Colombia   |   Full Year   |   estvar02@hotmail.com

Sr. Vargas was born and lives in Bogotá, the capitol city of Colombia. He lives in a house with his mother, father and one of his sisters. He has three siblings, two sisters and a brother. His father is a retired soldier, and his mother works from home selling by catalog. He is very thankful for his wonderful family.

Sr. Vargas is earning a degree in education in English, Spanish and French in Bogotá. He decided to study education because he thinks it is the most important thing for a society to learn and gain knowledge. He loves being a teacher and seeing his students learn and have fun in his classes. He has mostly worked with children and has some experience with teenagers as well. 

In his free time, Sr. Vargas likes reading, writing, singing, playing guitar and going out with friends. He loves traveling and learning about different places. He has always dreamed of traveling abroad and is why he decided to participate in the Amity intern program. He is grateful for this opportunity and hopes it will have a positive impact on his life.

Srta. Robayo (Lina)

Colombia   |   Full Year   |   robayolina8@gmail.com

Srta. Robayo lives with her parents and grandmother in Bogotá. She is an only child. They are a small but united family always supporting and encouraging each other to be the best version of themselves.

Srta. Robayo is earning a degree in language education at Universidad Libre. She has learned English, Spanish and French. In 2013, she volunteered in Quito, Ecuador and taught English to children 5-12 years old. While volunteering, she lived with an Ecuadorian family for three months. In 2015, she went to Foshan, China for 10 months and taught Spanish and English to adults and children. 

In her free time, Srta. Robayo likes spending time with family, students, coworkers and friends. She is looking forward to coming to the U.S. to learn new customs, share her customs, practice English and teach Spanish.

Srta. Arias (Maria or “Mafe”)

Colombia   |   Full Year   |   mafearias94@hotmail.com

Srta. Arias lives in an apartment in Bogotá with her parents, brother and dog, Tiara. Her nickname is “Mafe”, the first syllable of her first and middle name. This is a common practice in her country. Her family has been very supportive of all her plans and future goals.

Srta. Arias earned her degree in languages and humanities from the Universidad Libre de Colombia this past April. She can speak English and French and would like to continue to learn more languages. She likes languages because they can provide better job opportunities and help us learn about different cultures and people around the world. She has experience as a private English teacher. 

In her spare time, Srta. Arias likes reading books, going on walks or bike rides, hanging out with friends and family, listening to music, singing and drawing. She likes to take advantage of every opportunity to learn something new and get to know different places and people. She is excited to come to Minnesota to experience new things and share her culture.

Srta. Soto (Valeria)

Chile   |   Full Year   |   vsoto2012@alu.uct.cl

Srta. Soto has lived in Temuco, Chile since she was born. She lives in a house with her mother, father, younger sister and grandmother. Near Temuco there are several towns surrounded by lakes, mountains and hills.  Many tourists come to visit the national parks and practice extreme sports.

Srta. Soto is studying English education at the Universidad Católica de Temuco. She is in her last year of studies. When she returns to Chile, she will have one semester of internship and then will graduate. As part of her degree program, she has assisted in classrooms once a week since her second year of studies.  She really enjoys teaching and thinking of fun activities that will create meaningful learning for her students.  

In her spare time, Srta. Soto participates in many extracurricular activities at her university.  She has been part of the university’s theater company rehearsing three times a week and performing plays. She has also worked as a promoting monitor which involves giving talks about the university programs and scholarships and participating at university fairs.