Ecuador Team

Emily Agua

Program Assistant

I am Emily Agua. I am studying architecture at Universidad Laica Vicente Rocafuerte. I consider myself to be a very passionate person in all that I do. I am very determined, disciplined, collaborative, tolerant, and responsible. Those are the characteristics that define me, both personally and academically. I really like sharing time with children and youth and motivating them to generate meaningful learning for themselves. I always love learning new things, so I am always constantly learning and surpassing my perspectives.

Stephanie Allen

Program Manager

Stephanie Allen, Program Manager, graduated from Stonehill College with degrees in Spanish, and social justice and policy studies.

Her passion for volunteerism led her to Ecuador, where she first arrived as a volunteer with Rostro de Cristo in 2013.

During her volunteer year, Stephanie served at both preschool and after-school programs for at-risk Ecuadorian youth. Her experiences in Ecuador showed her the importance of education as a means to overcome situations of poverty, as well as the importance of developing meaningful relationships and of mentorship--values that continue to inform her personal and professional life.

After returning to the U.S., Stephanie began her non-profit career working as a volunteer manager for over two years at a nationally recognized non-profit. During this time, she also pursued post-graduate education and received certificates in community, medical, and legal Spanish-English interpretation from Boston University. Stephanie returned to Ecuador in 2018, living and working in the city of Cuenca to facilitate cultural exchange experiences for U.S. and Ecuadorian high school students.

Stephanie is thrilled to be back in Guayaquil and join our team as the program manager! In this role, she looks forward to working alongside our Ecuadorian staff to provide quality educational support and mentorship to our scholars.

Pamela Choez

Program Assistant

I am cheerful, friendly, and responsible. I am studying math and physics pedagogy. I like to teach and share with young people, because with them, I learn more every day. Before Starfish, I played sports for three years, and I was a volunteer instructor for classes on entrepreneurship, and on social and financial education for adolescents between 14 and 16 years of age. I like to write short articles about education in general. My goal is to change the way of seeing mathematics as complicated, and for young people to understand it better. In the future, I would like to study for a master's degree in psycho-pedagogy to understand better the minds of children and thus provide better support while teaching math.

Jordy Loor

Program Assistant

I am a happy person. I love to listen to music and watch television shows. In complex situations, I get nervous, but I try not to show it. I am always ready to help people who need my help. My favorite colors are black, purple, and white. I am also very interested in technology.

Eliu Mendez

Program Assistant

I study the pedagogy of national and foreign languages at the University of Guayaquil. I was part of Starfish as a student, and now I am part of the team of educators. I like the process of teaching and imparting new knowledge to others. It is a pleasure to be part of the Starfish family and share the art of teaching and creating new professionals within society who will contribute greatly in the future.

Jessica Parraga

Program Coordinator

I am an education coordinator and oversee language arts planning. I also support planning for our English and social studies lessons. I am a responsible, collaborative, and creative person. I love helping students and going beyond just being their tutor, to being their friend also. I like to be learning constantly and launching new ventures.