Talk By Victoria

Meet Rafa Breviglieri, the Brazil Hub Director at the Latin American Leadership Academy (LALA). I worked with him during my time as an intern at LALA. Before jumping into the non-profit world, he joined a prestigious consulting company for a few years until he discovered that he wanted to pursue a different path: using his skills to elevate organizations with a social justice lens. This landed him his job at LALA. Today, Rafa shares why and how he made the leap from consulting to working with NGOs. I'm excited for you all to take a listen. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did.

Aditi Nayak finds herself enamored by all things science. But unlike others, she wants to make science accessible and allow you (yes, you!) to comprehend and love all those big science concepts that otherwise seem intimidating. But they’re now so easy! At Amherst College, she started the Amherst STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) Network (ASN). She’s one of the most down to earth people that I’ve ever met. Between launching brain organoids into space (we’ll learn what that is in this episode), researching at institutions beyond Amherst, running ASN, and being a fantastic friend, she has a lot of wisdom to share.

Question of the episode:

• What is a question that you’ve been wanting to ask?

Hi! Today, I’m speaking with Sebastian Cano. I met him at the Latin American Leadership Academy. From the beginning, Sebastian told us that he loved math and that his dream was to go to MIT. And guess what? He is part of the MIT class of 2026! Sebastian’s love for math drove him to start a Math Olympics league in Paraguay. Notably, he won a gold medal in the International Math Olympics! Incredible, right? I invited him to the podcast because Sebastian does more than just math: he helps other students, once like him, get excited about school and help them with their math. He recently started an organization that does just that. He gives a lot of awesome advice here (especially if you’re applying for college!), and it’s my honor to have him on the Podcast. Enjoy! This interview is conducted in Spanish. If you want to see the English version, visit talkbyvictoria.com/podcast.

PINO Paraguay website: https://sites.google.com/view/pinopy 

PINO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pino_org.py/. 

Question of the Episode: 

• What is the first thing that you turn to when you are stressed? Not the second thing, third thing, or thing you "should" turn to. What's the very first one? It's super revealing!

Tell me your response on my Instagram (@talkbyvictoria) or through my email: victoria@talkbyvictoria.com. Have an awesome day! Looking forward to talking soon! 

Reignite your favorite hobbies and combine them with service! Meet Molly Sullivan, a current student at Marquette University who puts service at the heart of all she does. She and I went to high school together! As a volunteer and leader of Special Olympics and Best Buddies at her school, Molly knows her way to making time for others. Molly loves all things sports. In fact, she broke six swimming records in high school! Geniusly, she has combined her love of sports with her desire to build friendships with those with intellectual disabilities. Molly also speaks about her faith fueling her passion in life to be a person dedicated to serving others. Her bubbly personality shines through on this episode. It’s easy to hear her authenticity. Listen now!

Question of the episode:

Who is someone you can send a quick text of love to?

Ryan Kyle is a joy to have around. She’s beloved by all who meet her. It’s my honor to have her on the podcast! Among the many, many things that Ryan does, she has a heart for serving others. She leads Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS), which is a mentor nation-wide organization that has a chapter at Amherst College, where Ryan and I both attend school. She speaks about how to keep kids engaged virtually, how to navigate times when funding is scarce, and of course, like all other guests, she shares her daily act of kindness which involves… a name tag? Listen now!

Question of the episode:

• Who is someone in your life that you frequently pass by, who you don’t yet know their name?

Victoria Foley, the girl behind the blog and this podcast, answers all of your questions about who she is, what motivates her to keep going and shares how she almost stopped blogging. There’s a lot more intricacy behind the scenes! Perhaps you’re wondering what made her go on. She dives into the origins of Talk By Victoria (TBV) and the direction it’s headed towards. Her own journey in finding ways to serve others has led her to a few realizations that might sustain you, too. She also gives the slightest sneak peek into the second season of the podcast.

Question of the episode:

• Where do you find hope?

Share the first thing that comes to mind! Your answer may turn into a few, so feel free to expand, but out of all of them, what’s the biggest source of hope?: Submit your answers either on Instagram or email victoria@talkbyvictoria. She’ll feature them, either by name or anonymously, on her social media.

"How can I help migrants and refugees around the world? How do I raise money and awareness for a new cause? How can I get people to believe in my cause?" Marianna Bonilla works hard to spotlight some of the most vulnerable of society: migrants and refugees. Her own story of migrating from Colombia to the United States has led her to co-found Voices of Migrants (also previously mentioned in episode #2 with Carolina Zubler). From letter-writing events to clothing drives, Voices of Migrants has a bright future full of positive change. Her unparalleled ambition is going to make her an incredible freshman student at the College of William and Mary this fall.

How can I volunteer when in-person events aren't an option? How can I get past the hurdles of service over technology? My chat with Carolina Zubler addresses these questions and more! When in-person tutoring can't happen, Carolina Zubler persists nonetheless through her proactiveness with Vamos, a volunteer tutoring program in the DC-area for low-income children, run by students at the Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. As a co-leader for the past two years, Zubler has experienced the turbulence in the classroom and virtually, but she shares how the program not only prevailed, but increased the amount of students and volunteers!