A conversation with Rocio Juscamayta about the evolving role of young change agents at LALA

“The only factor that determines the success of a society is the percentage of change agents within it.”

She loves the word extra, and no, not the personality type. She loves “extra” as that which turns something ordinary into extraordinary. She is Rocio Juscamayta, 51, a self-proclaimed independent and early bird (sometimes…), and who, as a lawyer, entrepreneur, and mother of two, has seen the great potential that young people in Latin America have when they are embraced by a loving community that teaches them to become authentic and extraordinary agents of change. For her, it is incredible to see the immensity of valuable information that young people now have, as they can find everything from TikTok to Instagram posts to Reddit accounts. That’s why, despite the typical overstatements towards us “mini people,” she says that young people need to stand up for the change they need to make. In 2022, no one will likely be able to do it like they can.

Since she was a child, Rocío grew up in a Peruvian family with a strong character and heart. She proudly demonstrates this by recounting the moment when her mother emigrated from the province of Peru to the capital. Likewise, the courage in their hearts when they had to work from the age of 10 to cover the family’s expenses. And she was encouraged when the goodbyes came faster than expected, but she had to accept it to see her family have a better future. 

As the successful lawyer and real estate agent she has become, Rocio is now also looking for a new place to expand her future impact project: the metaverse. “I desire to establish a company or organization within the metaverse that will allow me to advocate for my clients, create digital contracts, and govern harmonious coexistence in this new virtual world. Also, I would like to learn from the kids of this new generation, who bring a new vision on how to act and combine the legal and technological sector,” the 51-year-old eloquently explains.

If we’re talking about contribution, this is nothing like what commonly happens at LALA. Her first exposure to the organization began when her daughter attended a LALA camp! Her daughter, a LALíder from VLB6 camp, taught her everything she had learned and experienced after what she describes as “the best two weeks and the highlight of her year,” and Rocio was fascinated. She states, “The lessons that LALA taught my daughter are lessons she also instilled in me. They were so valuable that we started to question our role in society, and now we want to make together a youth project that will leave a mark on her”.

The LALA community is infinitely grateful for Rocío’s contribution to the impact of our organization and the mark she will leave on LALA. We wish Rocío the best of luck on this extraordinary journey and hope she continues to build a more equal and just world. Thank you, Rocío! Much success and all the best to you always.

This is story was written by Andrea Alarcon, a member of LALA’s Storytelling Team.