Impact stories

In the small town of Passira in the countryside of Pernambuco, Brazil, Alfredo Neto was pondering the next moves in his educational journey. “It is such a small town that we don’t have places such as malls and movie theaters, so people here gather in the main square,” Alfredo said. “But we also don’t have

Barriers have never scared away Mary Ann Arizaga. If anything, all they have done is motivate her further to find unique solutions to what she identifies as some of the most pressing problems in her community and those around the world: Global warming, environmental consciousness, mental health resources, and a wealth of opportunities for people

Flávia Iespa was only eleven when she realized she wanted to attend one of the best schools in Brazil, Colégio Militar do Rio de Janeiro, which also happened to have one of the most difficult entrance exams in the country. The journey she and her mother had to embark on to make her dream come

Being sent to military school is often depicted in the entertainment industry as a form of punishment for an unruly kid, but Sofia Amaral, 19, not only felt that being sent to Colégio Militar in her home country of Brazil was one of the best decisions her parents ever made, but she also admired them

Realizing how fortunate she was to go to a well-run public high school in Brazil, Bianca Vasconcelos started investigating further what perpetuated the issues at other schools in her country as well as other problems around the globe, eventually throwing herself into Model UN. “My original interest in the models started because I love to

Back in Asuncion, Paraguay, with his three siblings and black Chow Chow, Gonzalo Villalba reflected on his past educational experiences with his impending learnings at the LALA Academy, which will precede his biomedical engineering education at Dartmouth College, serving as a backdrop. “In Paraguay, we have limited resources. Even though I tried to create more

“There are essential things you need to know about me. Things that, if I were to explain myself to you one day over three minutes in an elevator, I could not fail to mention [imperceptible pause, change of tone]. Hi, I’m Paulo, I’m 17 years old, and it’s a pleasure to be here with you

“I am still self-conscious about myself, but after going to LALA, that changed a lot… I am proud now of my heritage, of my hair, of my skin color.” Sueli’s interest in her Guarani heritage grew from a desire to honor her grandmother. “My grandma used to teach in one of the most dangerous places

“I know that a single piece of fruit will not end hunger. But the idea is to help move towards that balance… Oftentimes, people underestimate young people’s projects in the initial phases, but they are starting to wake up. For me, the coolest part of my story is that other young people around me are

“LALA gives you clarity. It makes you deeply realize who you are. Through LALA, I was able to connect lots of dots of my own story that, until then, I had not connected, but which unconsciously were there all along.” Guilherme’s interest in holistic education grew from a shocking event when he was seventeen. Thanks