Ana Karen Fetzer de León

Ana Karen was born and raised in Guatemala. She is currently a freshman student of Medical Sciences at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. She is very passionate about science, health, and voluntary service. She believes that education gives people dignity and a voice that can be heard. 

Voluntary work has played a key role in her life. Since the age of 13, she has been involved with diverse groups of people such as orphan children, the victims of domestic violence, the homeless, and the very poor. She has preached in retreats for Catholic teenagers in Guatemala and in Bogotá, Colombia. She has also participated in Scientific Olympics, reading clubs and the Students’ Council. She is presently a volunteer with Un Techo Para Mi País, an organization dedicated to eradicating extreme poverty, where she is in charge of Health and Safety Coordination. 

When she worked with ill children and served as a translator for American doctors, she discovered her true passion: healthcare. She is also a volunteer with the Margarita Tejada Foundation for Down Syndrome (DS) which educates according to individual needs, giving DS patients opportunities to join society and explore their abilities. In the future she plans to graduate and dedicate her life to helping parents with DS children.

When asked what her motivation is, she says: “Why waste your youth and energy acting in a reckless and silly way, when you could be busy changing the world?”