# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
A revisit to Laguna Cuicocha, outside Otavalo, in October 2022, 7 years after going there with my route!

# data[].attributes.body
When I signed up for Amigos, I knew the experience would be meaningful. What I didn’t know was just how deeply it would continue to shape my life for years to come.

What happened after 2015? In college, I returned as a Project Supervisor in Matagalpa, Nicaragua in 2017, and after graduating, I joined the Washington, DC Chapter Board, serving from 2020 to 2022. From September 2022 through March 2023, I had the chance to live in Ecuador again for six months, now as a young professional working in international development. Reconnecting with my Amigos host family was one of the most meaningful parts of my time there.

Amigos wasn’t just a summer volunteer program. It helped guide my choice of college major, launch my career, connect me with lifelong friends, and instill a deep commitment to living a life rooted in justice, equity, and cross-cultural understanding.

I am so happy that we are doing this 10-year anniversary campaign! We are ensuring that the next generation of Amigos can have their own unexpected, world-expanding experiences.

-Maya Sterling. Cotopaxi, Ecuador 2015

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Me and my partner, Cinthy, at Lake Quilatoa for midterm. 

# data[].attributes.body
I can't believe the transformational summer I spent in Ecuador was 10 years ago!!! I feel so proud of my 16-year old self who signed up for AMIGOS, and even more proud of all of the paths I chose to take because of the independence and global responsibility my experience instilled in me. The lessons I took from running campamentos, hosting community town halls, and learning from the community members and AMIGOS peers are still with me today.

Today, I think the most poignant reflection from my experience is the growing importance of cross-cultural collaboration and experiences. Now more than ever, I think it's crucial for people of all ages to be encouraged to work across cultures and if there is an opportunity for young people, than all the better! I want more #AMIGOS in the world - and I'm sure my 2015 AMIGOS would agree.

I work for AMIGOS now - don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments dnugent@amigosinternational.org :)

# data[].attributes.body
As any AMIGOS volunteer knows, it is so hard to put my experience into words that can truly describe the impact it had on me. In 2015, I trained in the Houston Chapter and spent 6 weeks living in the Cotopaxi region of Ecuador, supporting a microempresa project (as you can see from my photo, it was based on selling chicken :)). I still remember the excitement of realizing that learning did not only happen in my high school classroom, but also in the "real world"- and I truly learned so much about my host community, Ecuadorian culture, grassroots service initiatives, and myself.

I am so grateful that my journey with AMIGOS did not stop there! Since then, I volunteered as a vet trainer for the Houston Chapter, supported our virtual Youth Ambassador program during the pandemic, and now am on my fourth year with the Outreach Team. It's so exciting to see that the AMIGOS impact is still felt in the young people joining our programs today. In our current world, cross-cultural understanding and community-based initiatives are more important than ever, and AMIGOS is one of many paths that open these doors for the next generation. Don't ever hesitate to reach out to me at ereagan@amigosinternational.org if you're interested in getting involved!

- Emma Reagan, '15 alum and Senior Bay Area Outreach Manager