Dreams Realized: Anayansi Santamaria

Anayansi ('14) with her graduation diploma from the Universidad de Panama. She's now an official translator!

 It’s been three years since I participated in the first generation of the Dream Scholarship. Time flies so fast! After I came back to Panama in 2014 I finished my bachelor in English at the University of Panama. In 2015 I participated as a volunteer with the US Embassy and American Corner for the first edition of “Summer at CELI” and then after that I got a job at the Hospital Nacional as a customer service representative of the International Insurance Office. I did a great job, but then last year I was moved to the marketing department so I’m now working as a marketing official in Hospital Nacional. Also, last year I got my certification as an official translator for the government of Panama, so I also work as a freelance translator (which is my true passion). This year I want to participate in another scholarship to get my Master’s degree abroad either in applied linguistics or in translation, and I’m also going to promote myself more as a freelance translator. I believe that every opportunity that you receive makes you a better person and a professional!

Dreams Realized: Anderson Arauz

Anderson (center) with top 4 After School Program students graduation ceremony 2016

Anderson (center) with some of his English students at a Black Ethnicity celebration in 2016

Anderson (center) with his afternoon class at INADEH in the summer of 2015

The Leeds Beckett University closing ceremony September to October 2015.

Read what Anderson Arauz has been up to since his Dream Scholarship:

First, I would like to thank all the staff members behind the Dream Scholarship. My life has changed a lot afterwards. In 2015 I started teaching in INADEH a Panamanian organization that provides free courses to all Panamanians, I was working at the English department there. The same year Panama Bilingue program sent me to Leeds, England to participate in a seminar for eight weeks. Then in 2016 I started teaching in the After School Program at Latina University, where high school students get the opportunity to study English for free during school season. Currently, I´m still working in the Latina University as a Panama Bilingue instructor. It´s a 4 month training to the students that are going to travel to the USA, Canada or United Kingdom. And also this coming April I start the After Scool Program again with high school students.

To conclude, I have been doing a lot since I came back from USA, mostly teaching students of different levels and giving seminars sponsored by Panama’s Ministry of Education (MEDUCA), and doing my best to help the Panamanian students to acquire the English language. All thanks to the Dream Scholarship Program.

Dreams Realized: Alejandro Bernal

Check out what Alejandro Bernal ('14-15) is up to since his Dream Scholarship:

"When I came back to Panama on March 2015, I completed my B. A. in English in Universidad de Panamá. In 2016, I began working at a local private school as an English teacher for middle school students while taking an online Postgraduate study on Higher Education from Universidad Especializada de las Américas. This year, I started working at Colegio Episcopal de Panama and, more importantly, I was finally able to start my Masters in Applied Linguistics with a Specialization in TESOL; this is a huge step on my way to become a Professor at Universidad de Panamá. It is going to be tough, but… I can take it!"

Congrats on New Board Member: Rhandy Barba

Congrats on our new board member, Rhandy Barba!

Rhandy Barba, a Panamanian born in Panama City, Panama, former IT Manager at Dell-EMC currently the Country Head of Information Technology at Panalpina Panama. He holds an M.Sc in Management Information Systems from Northern Illinois University of Law and a B.A. in Software Development at Universidad Tecnológica de Panama and a B.A. in Business Administration at Universidad del Istmo. Fluent in Both Spanish and English, he enjoys playing sports; Rugby, baseball, soccer and martial arts. Former Rugby player of Ole Miss, NIU and Chicago Blaze RC and Panama Rugby National Team. Rhandy's been recently elected as member of the Steering Committee of Panama Fulbright Association. He joined the staff of Quality Leadership University as facilitator of Information Technology for Towson University in 2016.

It's a pleasure to have you on our team Rhandy!

Congrats on New Board Member: Edison Broce

Congratulations on our new Board Member, Edison Broce! 

Edison Broce Urriola is a Panamanian Member of Parliament - Diputado Suplente, and lawyer. He holds a Master of Procedural Law from USMA University and a Master in Public Policy from the University of Oxford. He raises his voice at the National Level, advocating primarily for Youth Opportunities and Environmental policies, at the Panama National Assembly. Among his academic honours, he studied at the University of Alabama in Huntsville as a Global Ugrad Scholar (2010-2011); and at the University of Oxford as a Chevening Scholar. He is the first Son of Democracy - member of Panama's democratic generation (born from 1990) to be elected in office in the history of Panama, at the age of 23. Edison has been a member of the IPPFoRB since 2015 – International Panel of Parliamentarians that focuses on the protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief worldwide.

It's a pleasure to have you on board, Edison! We are honored to have you as a part of our Dream Scholarship team.