Peacebuilding for Puerto Rico

Jeniffer Rivera was born and raised in Puerto Rico. In the process of getting her BA in psychology, she joined local volunteering initiatives that led her to the Peace Corps. She served as a Youth Development Volunteer in Costa Rica from 2016- 2018. There, she took part in meaningful conversations and projects with the youth and community members regarding sexual education, women’s rights, restorative practices, life skills, social entrepreneurship, and leadership. With her passion for social justice and mental health, she intends to work with agents of change to create resilient, and healthy communities.  Jeniffer is in the MA in Peace & Justice program from the Kroc School of Peace Studies and a Coverdell Fellow & Rotary Foundation, Grillo- Marxuach Family Scholar.

Valentina is a Rotary Foundation and Grillo-Marxuach Scholar from Puerto Rico. She has lived in Madrid, Spain and Washington, D.C. She believes that learning from other cultures is the best way to learn and grow. She has always been passionate about helping communities, specifically those with mental illness. She translated her passion for social justice when she became president of a community service club that brought food to the homeless in the San Juan area. This experience opened her eyes to the reality of Puerto Rico's historic economic crisis. Valentina is graduating this May from a Masters in Peace and Justice at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace and Studies. As a millennial, a Puerto Rican and a citizen of the world, she feels the need to do something for her island.