AFS Volunteer Awards

Nelly Salazar de Gasia of AFS Venezuela has been a foundational pillar and volunteer since 1989, helping the organization survive and thrive through some of the country’s most challenging circumstances. Her main roles included local chapter coordinator, national board member, and board advisor, using her expertise as a lawyer to significantly impact the organization’s legal and structural integrity. Key achievements include negotiating crucial agreements in the 1990s to secure scholarships for economically disadvantaged youth, coordinating the safe evacuation of hosted students in 2002, and being instrumental in reorganizing AFS Venezuela during an internal crisis in 2019, ensuring the organization’s continuity and stability for over two decades.

The Torp Rivas Family (Tove Kristin, Octavio Teofilo, Thea Michelle, Christian Felipe, Victor Andres, and Elise Andrea) from AFS Norway began their journey in 2002, evolving into a host family and dedicated volunteer unit, actively promoting diversity and inclusion. The family’s main roles have collectively included Treasurer, Contact Person, Interviewer, Chapter Coordinator, Trainer, and National Board Member, with Tove as a pillar of the Romerike chapter, and alumna Thea serving on the National Board and winning the Spirit of AFS Norway Prize in 2013. Their key achievements center on their unwavering hospitality, having hosted numerous students and opening their home as an emergency/temporary placement, and the significant leadership contributions of Tove, Thea, and Elise in chapter, national, and EFIL initiatives, extending their international network to over 40 countries.

Priya Jadav of AFS Canada is a dedicated volunteer and alumna from India (exchange to Czechia in 2016-2017) who has become an outstanding leader across four AFS organizations and the international network since 2016. Her main roles have spanned Orientations Facilitator, Trainer, Sending Coordinator, Alumni Project Leader, and Online Facilitator for international programs like Global STEM Accelerators. Among her key achievements are being recognized as the “Best AFS Exchange Student 2016/17” by AFS India, leading community service projects that impacted thousands of students in underfunded schools, creating and delivering intercultural trainings in Canada, and initiating the “Alumni Project 2025” to mobilize alumni for intercultural workshops in Canadian schools.

The Popayán Chapter of AFS Colombia, founded 38 years ago, has demonstrated an exceptional, sustained commitment to the AFS mission through deep community engagement and innovation. The chapter’s main roles include providing strong support for host/sending families, strengthening cultural integration through regular community activities, and supporting the national network by coordinating programs and orientations. Key achievements include building strong intercultural bonds through diverse activities (e.g., dance workshops, gastronomic festivals, gift drives), welcoming participants with diverse needs and backgrounds (e.g., wheelchair users, LGBTIQ+ students), collaborating with rural families and victims of armed conflict, and innovating with the Marandunianos podcast and the “Teachers with a Cause” program to amplify AFS visibility and impact in local schools.