UANL ambassadors in Washington, D.C.

They are ready!

Four students from UANL Preparatoria 7, Las Puentes Division, won Jóvenes en Acción ("Youth in Action") program.

This program is organized by the U.S. Department of State, the Ministry of Public Education (“SEP”), and the private sector. Students will visit Vermont and Washington, D.C.

With the project “Me hackearon mi cuenta” (I’ve been hacked), Mónica Monterrosa Morales, Shirel Yaretzi Perales Muñoz, Jorge Alejandro Ramírez González and Marcelo Méndez Guajardo won the Jóvenes en Acción scholarship and their ticket for a two-week visit to the United States.

With about 30 students from Mexico, the team is the only representative from Nuevo León participating in the program. They will meet in Mexico City, then go to a summer camp in Brattleboro, Vermont, and will later visit Washington, DC.

There, Monica, Shirel, Jorge and Marcelo will present their project to U.S. government politicians looking for constructive criticism about their approach. Thereafter, they will return home and implement this program in their community.

Cybersecurity for everyone
This year the group chose to work on the issue of cybersecurity in their community. “Me hackearon mi cuenta”, is a program divided into three audiences (children, teenagers, and adults) and, at the same time, divided into several phases depending on audience age.

For children between 4 and 11 years old, we will work with surveys, memory card games, and fun activities for kids. With teenagers, we will approach social networks and talks conducted by psychologists. For adults we will address banking fraud and online shopping” said Monica Monterrosa Morales.

A life-changing experience during two weeks
The participants will be in Brattleboro from July 9-22; they return on July 23 and begin the virtual follow-up of their programs. Next year, in February 2023 they will attend a virtual mid-program meeting and in May of the same year, a closing ceremony.

“The guys will stay for two weeks, not alone, but without their direct family. For 15 or 16 years they have been with their family all the time and there comes a point when they have to do their own laundry,” said Cenia, a teacher.

Dr. María Leticia Segura Arévalo, Head of Preparatoria 7, expressed her pride in this sixth generation of students who have won the competition during her administration and mentioned that she is grateful to all the people involved in making this happen.