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Palmer Trinity school rising senior Luisana Hinestrosa moved to Miami from Madrid a year ago in August.
“I moved around a total of 4 countries, so I’m used to the change,” she says.
She’s originally from Venezuela, she moved to Atlanta, to Switzerland, to Madrid, back to Venezuela, back to Madrid for eight years and now Miami.
Her English is impeccable, having attended a British school in Madrid. She speaks English and Spanish fluently and takes French at school.
Here in Miami, she’s involved in a school club called AYUDA Venezuela.
“My great grandmother used to work for this organization in Venezuela,” Hinestrosa says.
“She was one of the founders. I’m trying to introduce that foundation so I can raise awareness about it.”
Fe y Alegria is an international Jesuit-Led organization providing integral education and social development to marginalized communities in Latin America and Africa.
“They have been expanding to other Latin American countries,” she says. “It was founded 75-80 years ago.”
Hinestrosa took advantage of Palmer Trinity’s International Festival to raise money for scholarships. They raised $470, more than enough to fund one scholarship.
“Our current goal is to get 10 scholarships,” she says. “Either by the end of my junior year or by the beginning of my senior year.”
In their first fundraiser they made money through a raffle at the festival where the kids could win a charm necklace or they could buy snacks and play games.
“We are hoping to organize a couple more events,” she says.
They planned a bake sale and have been considering a Go Fund Me page.
“If we don’t do the Go Fund Me, we hope to do a bunch of other events,” she says.
The Go Fund Me page requires permission from the administration. Hinestrosa hopes to be in a leadership position next year.
“I’m hoping to continue my great grandmother’s legacy,” she says.
She started volunteering while she was in Madrid when her Venezuelan-based aunt, who works for the organization, asked her for help.
“My mother is also involved with the organization here in Miami,” she says.
She hopes to have her mother speak to the club members and her aunt as well, if she comes to visit.
She’s also involved in Walking Warriors.
“We are in charge of raising awareness for cancer patients,” she says. “We raise awareness for cancer in general.”
Just recently she began volunteering for the Abuelos Foundation. Her first assignment had her going to the grocery store to buy food supplies for a senior citizen.
“In the future, when I do go to another elderly person’s home, I do hope to go inside and get to know them. I love hearing all their stories,” she says.
When she was looking for other Venezuelan connected volunteer opportunities, she discovered an organization called Chamos.
“When I lived in Madrid, I was in charge of helping kids that are currently living in poverty and homelessness,” she says. “A couple of the events I was able to take part in, I got to sell merchandise over the weekend, and with the money we made from selling, we were able to send them clothes, water, food, anything they might need.”
They also organized a Christmas Caroling event that people paid to watch.
While in Madrid, she played both club tennis and golf. Her school was too small to have sports teams, but she did play in some organized tournaments.
She couldn’t participate in sports this school year since she was still getting used to the change, but next year she plans to try out for the tennis team.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
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