“When they were building the school, people came to visit me and my grandmother a lot,” she recalls, referring to the charming Doña Gloria, who was always ready to share a smile, a snack, or the shade of her mango tree with tired mission trip participants on their lunch breaks. “I used to practice doing French braids on the girls who visited. I was just a kid.”
And now? Most days, you’ll find Naomi back at the Amigos Academy, where she’s completing her practicum as a teacher’s assistant in the preschool classroom. On the weekends she commutes to her university in Leon, where she is studying education with a specialty in English.
She’s not the only one whose life has been transformed – Naomi’s mom works on the Hospitality team at the Amigos Academy, keeping the space well-maintained and beautiful for the students who learn there. Naomi’s sisters were also Leaders in Action scholarship recipients: her younger sister Nazareli is in secondary school, and her older sister Gloria is a full-time employee on the accounting team at Amigos for Christ.
She gives examples: when she was a student at the Academy, they served snacks mid-morning and students brought their own lunches. Today, the Amigos Academy has a health and nutrition program which provides a healthy breakfast and lunch to all students. More Amigos Academy graduates go on to receive Leaders in Action scholarships for secondary school and university. And the Leaders in Action program has grown to include support beyond just tuition, giving young people access to trusted guides, welcoming spaces stocked with resources and technology, and opportunities for spiritual growth.
“I’ve accomplished things I never thought I would,” she says. “I get to pursue what I love – education – and I know with God I will accomplish my dreams.”
