The TFAS community united in Chile for a special reception this month. More than 20 alumni convened at the at the University of the Andes to connect with current TFAS Santiago program participants and meet fellow alumni during the 2020 TFAS Santiago program in Chile.

TFAS has always meant a lot for me, because it has opened doors to friendships I could have never dreamed of having, to ideas that are worth fighting for – now more than ever – and to unforgettable experiences.” – Fran Contreras Stange ’18

While TFAS has hosted several local Santiago receptions, this event marked the first time TFAS hosted an alumni and student joint reception during the program. TFAS Vice President of International and Alumni Programs Michelle Le ’95, ’96 said the event was a great success, bustling with joyous reunions and new connections between alumni and current participants.

“It was wonderful to see the current students actively seeking out and talking to the alumni,” Le said. “We are extremely proud of the strong leaders who make up the TFAS alumni network and watching these connections grow among alumni from around the world is a special sight.”

During the reception, two-time TFAS alumna Fran Contreras Stange ’18 spoke about the valuable connections she has made through TFAS, and said the evening reminded her of the important lessons that TFAS has taught her.

“TFAS has always meant a lot for me, because it has opened doors to friendships I could have never dreamed of having, to ideas that are worth fighting for – now more than ever – and to unforgettable experiences,” Stange said.

Manuela Sotomayor Reyes ’18, a Chilean native and TFAS alumna who was also recently accepted to the 2020 TFAS Prague program, said the event served as an important tool for students and alumni to connect and share ideas.

“As a former student, it reignited the connection I had with TFAS,” she said. “Overall, it was great to connect with people with all these different and interesting cultural backgrounds. TFAS always manages to bring together a great mixture of people, and these instances are a great way of connecting former students with current ones, so I sure hope it becomes a tradition!”

The 2020 TFAS Santiago academic leadership program concluded on Saturday, Jan. 18. Stay tuned to TFAS.org in the coming weeks to learn more and see highlights from the program.

View more photos from the TFAS Santiago Alumni reception on Facebook.