“We are valuable learners and protagonists called to be part of the change we want to see in society”

Lorena Bolivar

Graduated class 2009

Lorena Bolivar, a student who always stood out for her leadership in different institutional settings, tells us how her active participation, academic training and passion for studying contributed to fulfilling and building her life purpose working for the city of Barranquilla. Today Lorena works as a Political Scientist, Leader of Bilingualism, transversal projects and strategic alliances of the District Secretary of Education.

Do you consider that the learning provided by Altamira School has contributed to who you are today?

The education I received at Altamira has been decisive in many aspects of my life, it instilled in me one of my passions and that is to always be an apprentice, I consider myself a Lifelong Learner, I love to study, know, investigate, have critical thinking, social sense, have a tourist vision and deepen into various topics. This has allowed me to understand my role in the co-creation and construction of citizenship.

Since I was little I saw school as a place not only to receive knowledge, but also tools for life. I was a long time member of STUCO and an active participant in AISMUN. These events led me a lot to understand the correlation and interdependence that exists between all of us and how we are interconnected. My life purpose and my dream is 100% Connected with my city and with my country, so I believe that, from an early age, the school, Mrs. Priscy and all the teachers instilled in me and supported me to build it and analyze how I behave and how I determine my role in society to act and positively impact.

Now that I lead the city’s bilingualism project, I understand the importance of the Altamira International School Accreditation, especially because it always guaranteed the quality of the education I was receiving, relevant, contextualized, local, avant-garde for its time. Thanks to that I perform the way I do at my job.

In which aspects do you consider that the education we provide as an institution has allowed you to build your life purpose?

The learning I had in school has allowed me to achieve many things that I have in my life because I acquired theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to promote things that today are easy to understand such as sustainable development, peace, cooperation dynamics, etc.

Moreover, I decided to do my specialization, because from school I had a very clear goal of promoting gender equality and focusing on human rights, emphasizing global citizenship and cultural diversity to have a much broader vision of the world and that somehow makes my job much easier.

For me, everything start from our educators whom I remember with great affection. They were a differentiating factor in my education, they added an impressive value that has allowed me to be different from others in any organization and this is key to achieving success, as a person, as a professional, as a student, as a citizen of Barranquilla and the world.  I have a constant desire to build a more just society, to work to build consensus, to understand that my role shouldn’t be passive and constantly innovate.

Thank you Altamira for allowing me to be a free, autonomous and critical thinking student who clearly observes to impact and transform the environment in circumstances that are unequal.