IV CSC Recap: 5 Years and still Growing Strong

By Carlos Macias

The IV Colombian Student Conference (CSC) started for many of us a few months before April of 2010. For The George Washington University (GWU) chapter meant countless hours of defining logistics, securing attendance of panelists, and attracting sponsors. For PorColombia’s (PC) national executive board, it represented many teleconferences, designing our first promotional brochure, and the excitement to finally experience the fourth installment of our annual signature event. For our members living in the north as far as Toronto or in the south reaching Florida, it was the anticipation to finally meet in person their fellow PorColombians (some for the first time) and get impregnated with the “from passion to action” bug.

The day before the event, we all started our journey to Washington D.C. Some of us rented “church” vans and traveled in caravan, others drove almost 10 hours non-stop from Canada, many decided to hop on the express bus service serving the I-95 corridor, and a handful just took a plane to the Ronald Reagan Airport. Several photo albums have been posted in Facebook as a testament of these unforgettable road trips. But the real fun was awaiting for all of us in D.C. In the meantime, the conference staff was fine-tuning many last minute details to make the event a total success. And you know what? In all fairness, it was.

Meet PorColombia’s First Couple: Estefanía & Federico

February 9, 2010

By Carlos Macías

Estefanía Montoya and Federico Guzmán belong to the first crop of PorColombians who envisioned our organization as a rallying point to improve Colombia from abroad. They are also the first PorColombian couple to get married. While fabricating the building blocks of our organization they realized that they shared an overflowing passion for Colombia and also made one terrific professional team. As Valentine’s Day approaches, what a better chance to learn what inspired them to help create PorColombia and how this experience nurtured their relationship up to the point of tying the knot in late 2008.

We would love to say that Estefa and Fede (as their close friends call them) met in PC, then started dating and eventually became engaged because of their role as founding members. But their story pre-dates PC and even their college life. They met at the age of four in Bogotá; they received their first communion in the same ceremony, and knew each other since then. However, the love flare ignited in 2003 while attending The George Washington University in Washington D.C. (they created the present PC chapter at the university) They were both pursuing a degree in international relations. They now live in Barranquilla and own a West Highland white terrier named Caos.

The summer of 2005 was the pivotal moment when our group was conceived in an effort to fulfill “the deep-rooted necessity of all Colombians living abroad to help our country from afar,” says Fede. According to Estefa, “PC was intended as a vehicle for Colombian students living in the United States to help our own and improve our cultural identity.” Furthermore, PC was also created as a theater for real-life working experiences, an opportunity to gain a competitive edge when looking for jobs after graduation. “While learning how to run the organization just like any company, we wanted to experiment and learn from our mistakes in the process. We wanted to make the most and best mistakes possible,” Fede adds.

When we asked them about how they see PC almost five years after its creation, Estefa expressed her utter satisfaction given the sustained and exponential growth that PC has shown in the last year. Fede shares her emotion and feels pleased the slogan he created for PC “from passion to action,” has gone so far. “For me, PorColombia means brotherhood, duty, and responsibility,” Estefa adds.

Their passion inspired a new group to take their banners and carry on. “Estefanía and Federico forged many ties with other Colombian students early in the game that eventually helped PC to flourish,” says Sergio Guzmán, Fede’s younger brother and PC alumni. He refers to the second crop of PC leaders including José Felipe Andrade, Jeffrey Navarro, and our current President Marcela Sarmiento.

“I feel privileged to count myself as a personal friend of both of them and I can attest to their incredible love for this organization. They transform every challenge in their lives in opportunities, always striving for excellence,” writes Sarmiento in her blog. “I met them during my sophomore year in college and since then both have been an inspiration to me and probably to many more students,” Andrade says.

After graduation, Fede worked for the Inter-American Development Bank and now is the Strategic Planning Coordinator of the Barranquilla-based multinational Acerías de Colombia-Acesco. Estefa went to Mali in Western Africa in 2005 in a cultural interchange program “that completely changed my life,” Estefa says. “Since I left Africa, I only dream about going back, it is a mesmerizing land with amazing people and a history not far from being a fairy tale,” she adds with excitement. Now, Estefa works as a consultant for the International Planned Parenthood Federation while finishing her Masters in Public Health at the Universidad del Norte. As PC alumni, they are currently working with the national board in developing new partnerships with companies in Colombia and motivating new students to lead.

For the immediate future, Fede plans to get his MBA abroad and he is currently preparing to take his GMAT exam. Estefa will decide which route to take afterwards depending on where Fede gets accepted for his masters. Afterwards, they would love to venture into Africa again, wherever they can both find jobs. Having family remains low in their priority list, they will settle with Caos in the meantime.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Estefanía Montoya y Federico Guzmán dressed up for Barranquilla’s carnival.