CIS University and its own International Studies Foundation (ISF), held a tribute ceremony on March 5th in honor the U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Julissa Reynoso, for her support and participation in ISF’s annual Camino de Santiago program.
Mr. Diego Sánchez de León, board member and Trustee of ISF, as well as CIS University and ISF president, Dr. María Díaz de la Cebosa, wished to commemorate Ambassador Reynoso’s participation, in which she joined a group of students from Spain and the United States during the Camino de Santiago in 2023.
“The International Studies Foundation aims to be the metaphorical bridge that symbolizes the union between these two cultures, and one that brings forth education as the great hope of the younger generations,” said María Díaz de la Cebosa.
The president of CIS University thanked the U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra for her support from the very beginning of the project: “From the very first moment she showed her support and willingness to help, and even to walk together with us. That “walking together” truly represents her transformational leadership. A leadership that is made possible through each step that she takes, and in every footprint left behind, we can feel the weight of a great commitment to life itself,” said Díaz de la Cebosa.
Ambassador Julissa Reynoso took the stage to collect several gifts presented to her by some of the students who participated in the “Camino” and representatives of the Foundation.
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be able to be part of this adventure,” stated the ambassador, who acknowledged ISF for inviting her to contribute to this initiative and to have a positive impact on the lives of so many students.
“You can count on me, my government and the embassy to continue supporting these initiatives, which for us are so important to ensure that our young people, our citizens, in Spain and the United States, continue to get to know each other better and build those important bridges to make this society and this world a little bit better,” the ambassador stressed.
The last Camino de Santiago trip in this program, which the foundation has been successfully running since 2017, included the participation of a group of students and adults that brought together disadvantaged young people from different parts of the United States, as well as a dozen Spanish students from several high schools in Madrid, who are all participants in ISF’s “Go American English” program.
The group included 10 students from Miami, selected by the Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Florida, as well as five students from AECI II: NYC Charter High School for Architecture, Engineering & Construction Industries (high school in the Bronx, New York, and four students from the public university Miami Dade College, Kendall Campus in Florida.
In addition to the collaboration of the U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Julissa Reynoso, this latest Camino de Santiago trip also included the participation of Miami-Dade county, District 7 Commissioner, Raquel Regalado, and the president of the Spanish Cultural Center of Miami, Julian Linares, who both walked a section of the route. This enriching experience was made possible thanks to the support of the following collaborating institutions and individuals: International Finance Bank, the U.S. Embassy in Spain, the Spanish Consulate in Miami, and Felipe Enriquez.
Upon the conclusion of the tribute to Ambassador Reynoso, participants in the “Go American English” and Camino de Santiago programs dedicated several videos and a song in English to her as a thank you.
