Every year between 12 and 30 students are beneficiaries of our scholarship and mentorship programs.

 

Meet this year’s

COHORT

This year, instead of dividing students into two separate cohorts, Hansell and Carol are mentoring the cohort as a whole. Given how frequently changes occur due to Covid-19, this offers students the best opportunity for community and consistency.

Be sure to hover on each image to read each student’s profile!

Hello! My name is Alice Evans and I am a student at Portland Community College as a Future Connect scholar. I grew up in SW Portland and am currently living on the Oregon Coast in Arch Cape.

I am interested in learning more about Environmental Science and Sustainability while traveling to Central America. I want to learn more about myself all while surrounded by a positive community that thrives off of environmental sustainability. I have advocated for sustainability through conscious and consistent practice and awareness. I can’t wait to immerse myself in the present moment and be grateful for life in an environment that I could only dream of.

Something unique about me is that I love vintage cars - especially aquamarine/sea foam green ones!

ALICE EVANS

Hello! My name is Alice Muñoz. I was born in Seattle but spent most of my childhood in Milwaukie, OR, being raised by my grandma. In fact recently, I have had moments helping my grandma’s friends grow their gardens and have slowly become more interested in gardening and growing food.

This makes me excited to travel abroad with Carpe Mundi and learn more hands-on. I am also learning a lot as I currently pursue a degree in Education in the hope of being a world history teacher. someday.

This is why I want to experience actual world history. I dream of standing before my class and being able to tell them about the places I’ve been and things I’ve experienced about the cultures we study.

ALICE MUÑOZ

Hi my name is Balin Hodge.

BALIN HODGE

My name is Erick Moreno-Lule, I am a freshman student at Portland community college. I grew up in a small town in Guanajuato, Mexico for about 14 amazing years so English is my second language. I plan to attend PCC for two years and transfer to a 4 year university where I major in Spanish and eventually become a Spanish teacher.

I love to go out in nature and explore my surroundings, usually running alongside my dog. I also love to play soccer with friends, and playing guitar. One day I hope I can become a really good musician and make my own music!

I am a very social and energetic person, I love being around people, also I enjoy helping people and respecting everyone. I am thankful to my family and especially my mother for helping shape my values, interests, and character. Who I am today is informed by these values and makes me excited to join this program.

I want to visit new places, learn about other cultures, meet new people, and learning new things about myself everyday by being out of my comfort zone, I know this will help me to become more independent.

ERICK MORENO-LULE

Hello my name is Hunter Elwell. I was raised in Tigard, OR and currently attend PCC.

I want to partake in the Carpe Mundi Education program to develop an ability to exchange ideas with other cultures. As I age, I want my experiences to be reasonably well-rounded, so that I can contribute as much as possible to the next generation in the way of inheritable skills and wisdom.

My commitment to the next generation is also why I want to pursue my education starting at PCC, and moving on to work in the field of Aerospace. Our hope for a sustainable future is in space. It's the duty of any generation to ensure that future for the next.

HUNTER ELWELL

Hello, my name is Kayla Vang! I was born in Portland and raised in Hillsboro for most of my life. I have always wanted to great things in my life and knew if I was given the opportunity, I’d take it. I didn’t want the world to be told to me just through textbooks. My inspiration for doing this program was so I could expand my knowledge of what I know beyond what books have told me. As someone who has never had that exposure growing up, I want to take this chance to go beyond what is comfortable and create new experiences. I don’t want money to be a problem for not being able to do something. 

Right now I attend PCC and and most passionate about art and pursuing a career in graphic design. I know my experiences will only help expand my education. 

KAYLA VANG

Hello! My name is Khi’Aura Wilson.

KHI’AURA WILSON

When I moved here I met many people who did not know where Iran is or they just saw it in the news and had a bad concept about it. Iran is a beautiful country. It is full of beautiful historical places, delicious foods, and friendly people. I love learning more about other countries however I can. In fact, one of my favorite tv shows is a Korean drama called Running Men.

I love traveling too. I heard about Carpe Mundi and was so excited to be part of it because it would be a dream come true for me. Now, I am a student at PCC and I know this program will help me not just learn about other cultures, but help me become more independent and strong. Just thinking about it make me excited and i think it can help me to believe in myself more. 

My dream is to one day open my own coffee and tea shop where I can make people feel welcome and at home. 

LEILA GOHARI

Hi! My name is Nayeli Vazquez Mendez!  I grew up with two immigrant parents who always supported me and taught me many life lessons that I will someday teach my own kids. My biggest inspiration for doing this program are my parents. They always talk about all the places one can travel, the people one can meet, and all the different types of foods one can eat. Of course, when they talk about traveling they don’t mean they are going to travel, they mean their kids, my siblings and I. Because of my parents I want to travel as much as I can so I can meet all the different cultures and people one can possibly meet. As a child I was always quiet, shy, and had a hard time expressing my ideas. I know after-school programs, orchestra, and volunteering helped me come out of my shell more. 

As a current student at PCC, I know this program will help me experience new things and help me grow by trying new things outside of my comfort zone and become more independent.  

NAYELI VAZQUEZ MENDEZ

Hi, my Name is Sahra Sadik. I grew up in Portland and currently attend Portland State University. Growing up, I have managed to keep my culture and faith a huge part of my identity. Staying close to these things made me realize how passionate I am about other cultures and learning about the different aspects of life around the globe. My inspiration for doing this program is to explore new cultures, learn about new topics in new environments, and experience life outside of the United States. One day, I hope these experiences will help me to be a Nurse or start my own business.

SAHRA SADIK

Hi, my name is Samanta and I am a first generation college student at PCC who lives in the greater Portland metro area.  I want to do this program because I would really love to travel and get to see the world. I wasn’t able to travel when I was younger due to my family having financial issues. I have only been able to visit one state other than Oregon and that state is Washington. I feel like it would be such a fulfilling experience to travel through Carpe Mundi because I wouldn’t travel alone and I would be able to connect with new people as well as be mentored too. 

I am excited about going to Central America because I want to explore the rainforests, interact with the sea turtles, learn how Spanish is different between my country of heritage, Mexico, and Guatemala. I am confident that this program will also help me to grow as a person and help me learn a lot about myself. 

SAMANTA VEGA CONTRERAS

My name is Saul Marin Garcia. I currently attend PCC but am undecided on my major. I know I have the potential to be successful in whatever major I decide, but if there’s one thing I want to achieve in my lifetime, it’s dying knowing I made a positive impact in people’s lives and left this world better than it was before.


For the majority of my life, I’ve always been introverted and not been one to get out of my comfort zone very often up until about a year ago. =I know that joining a club is not the same as flying across the world, but I want to experience something new that I’ve never done before because one day I’ll be too old to do anything and I don’t want to look back and think of all the “could’ve”, “if only”, and “I should’ve” moments. I want to look back many years from now and be grateful I took a chance, be grateful I took an opportunity to learn. 

SAUL MARIN GARCIA

My name is Skyler Lamoreaux. I currently attend PCC and am not entirely sure what I want to pursue for my career. My hobbies consist of video games and watching anime.

When I was in 8th grade I had an opportunity to go to Japan as an exchange student. Sadly it was around that time I fell ill and was unable to participate. I have always regretted not being able to go to Japan so once I heard about this opportunity, I knew I had to take it.

Going to another country would be a great way for me to grow as a person, develop skills, and broaden my horizons. More and more, I have been inspired to put myself out there and into a world of unknowns. I believe that Carpe Mundi is the next step in finding out who I truly am.

SKYLER LAMOREAUX

Hi! My name is Steven Menefee.  I’m currently co-enrolled at PCC and PSU. I am someone who really loves nature I get out everyday it makes me feel free. After taking an environmental science class, I’ve learned more about how to make the world a healthier place. I feel like if I got a chance to spread joy and clean air around the world it would be a dream come true. This program is motivation for me to pursue my dream career of becoming a environmental scientist. I get to discover how other countries keep their land healthy and I can incorporate all my learnings into my daily work and make this world just a bit cleaner. I know this group will challenge me to expand my mind beyond my regular practices and incorporate what I learn so I can improve my life. This will mean being okay with some uneasiness and discomfort to experience growth.

Hi! My name is Steven Menefee.  I’m currently co-enrolled at PCC and PSU. I am someone who really loves nature I get out everyday it makes me feel free. After taking an environmental science class, I’ve learned more about how to make the world a healthier place. I feel like if I got a chance to spread joy and clean air around the world it would be a dream come true. 

This program is motivation for me to pursue my dream career of becoming a environmental scientist. I get to discover how other countries keep their land healthy and I can incorporate all my learnings into my daily work and make this world just a bit cleaner. I know this group will challenge me to expand my mind beyond my regular practices and incorporate what I learn so I can improve my life. This will mean being okay with some uneasiness and discomfort to experience growth.

STEVEN MENEFEE

Hi, my name is Tiernan O’Neal. My mom’s side of the family loves to travel. When I was young, I was regaled with stories of camping in Ireland and backpacking in the Alps. They instilled a desire for exploration in me that has continued to grow as I age. I knew that I wanted to go to another country, but could never decide which one until I met Oliver. He was an exchange student from Thailand who stayed with us while earning his Associates degree. We became friends, and he used to tell me all about how beautiful his country is. Ever since then, I’ve hoped that one day I could go there.

I am passionate about international relations and foreign policy and want to transfer to a four-year university after I get my associates from PCC.I am motivated to participate in a Carpe Diem program because I believe that it will help me develop the attitude and skills necessary to succeed later in life. Being immersed in and learning about another culture is an experience that I believe everyone should have at some point, as it teaches people to be more open-minded and tolerant. For me personally, it will give me first-hand experience understanding another culture which is an invaluable skill for the career I want to pursue. 

TIERNAN O’NEAL