Julene was born in Mexico; she has a degree in International Relations by the University of Anáhuac Mexico Norte. She's always been interested in helping others and that was one of the main reasons why she gathered a group of young people and started the foundation to give free English classes to children in need.
What is your favorite travel memory?
Probably any travel I've had with my family.
I really enjoy spending quality time with them; we love to go to different and new places and learn about their history, culture and, of course, try their food.
I think that traveling is the one thing you can spend on and will make you richer, as they say, because you always will come back home with a new perspective on life.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I see this job as one of the most fulfilling ones because, even though it's a lot of work, you know you are putting a "granito de sal" (as we say in Spanish) in the world to make it somehow better and kinder.
Working in Fundación Aantah Tulum has given me the opportunity to help children in Tulum and their families, and just let me tell you that seeing their smiles at the end of the classes every day makes everything worth it.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
Hmm, that is a good question; probably the one that told me that coming to Tulum changed her life.
She believed that, when she left home, she was going for the only purpose of making a true impact on the lives of the people there; but the truth was, those people were the ones who left an impact on her...
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I would choose volunteering with Aantah Tulum by giving English classes to children in public schools because I believe that education is the basis for a better future and it is what keeps me inspired that together we can make a positive impact, and by helping the children and their families, we create a better society.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
We are a young group of people with big dreams that want to do something great by combining helping others with extraordinary experiences.
We want to represent a set of values and a way of thinking. Some of these values are honesty, transparency and kindness and those are the ones that represent our team because every day they work harder to make a difference in this lovely beach community by teaching and working from the heart.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
I think the biggest factor in being a successful company is the volunteers; they help make a difference in the lives of people.
They are people like us - people who want to genuinely connect with the local people and to leave a place better than they found it. Volunteering has the power to transform both a community and a volunteer. That is a beautiful thing and what we witness every day on our program.