“I come from the working class where opportunities like Global Glimpse are far from frequent. I want to have the ability to give back to my parents and the rest of my family for all the sacrifices they’ve made to get me where I am today.”
Born and raised in San Francisco, Alejandro Flores de Anda is a proud Mexican-American. His parents immigrated to California from Jalisco, Mexico in the 1990s to start a family. Alejandro’s upbringing developed his grateful outlook on life and his deep appreciation for the sacrifices that his parents have made to provide for him and his sister.
“30 years ago my parents came to the U.S. in search of a better life for their family. They saw America as a place where their kids would be able to get an education and live a happy life. If I have the opportunity to make their dreams a reality, I’m going to take it.”
Now a junior at Balboa High School, Alejandro plays on the school volleyball team and is enrolled in Upward Bound, a college access program that provides students from low-income families with college preparatory guidance and resources. His dream is to attend a four-year university after high school; and both teachers and counselors alike commend his ability to excel as a leader both in and out of the classroom. His academic achievement, strong work ethic, and passion for connecting with his peers led to his nomination to Global Glimpse.
Earlier this month, Alejandro was proud to be admitted to the very first class of Global Glimpse students at Balboa High School and received a full scholarship to travel to Riobamba, Ecuador during the summer of 2019. As soon as he received his acceptance letter, he was excited to discover who else from his school was accepted so they could jump right into preparing for their trip.
“Ever since I can remember I have always wondered how different the life I am living today is compared to someone else’s across the world. I’m excited to get a different perspective that I typically wouldn’t get in San Francisco and to see how different, yet similar, Ecuadorian culture is to mine in the States.”
Alejandro has dreamed of having the opportunity to travel ever since his sister went to Nicaragua with Global Glimpse in 2014. This will be his very first time traveling alone and his first time traveling outside of the country, aside from visiting his grandparents in Mexico. As a volunteer with the after school program at his local elementary school, he loves mentoring kids and is excited to teach English tutoring lessons in Ecuador this summer.
Alejandro is just one of 1,100 promising young leaders who have been accepted to travel with Global Glimpse this summer.
Give the gift of travel to provide students like Alejandro with the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and develop a new perspective in 2019.
