Glensi Coxolcá is in her second year at University of Minnesota. She is working towards a major in Sociology of Law, Criminology, and Justice and will return to Guatemala to support indigenous communities, such as her own indigenous town in Sololá near Lake Atitlán.

Glensi grew up in a family of seven with her parents, three brothers, and one sister. Her mother sells traditional clothing from home and her father is a laborer; together they have a family store. In 2018, she had the opportunity to study at the Panajachel International School on a scholarship, where she learned English. She also speaks Spanish andKaqchikel. She participated in speaking and poem contests that inspired her to help other girls to empower themselves and achieve their dreams to break the stereotype that an indigenous woman’s destiny is marriage at 18. Glensi is also involved with organizations that host workshops on violence against women and youth. She empowers other girls and women to be leaders and find their own voice.

In 2022, Glensi helped a group of indigenous teenage girls create their life plans. She gave workshops on topics such as violence against youth, self-esteem, and social media to help indigenous girls keep dreaming and find their paths. These workshops helped the girls understand problems that affect the development of their community, including the lack of opportunities that indigenous people have. This information empowered them, allowing them to share the information and feel more confident and capable of achieving their goals. Glensi hopes to work towards solving social problems such as violence against women, discrimination, and inequality, in her community and country. She dreams of returning to Guatemala to have her own organization to help indigenous people.

Highlights From Glensi’s Work Experience:

Founder, project Kaslem Ixoqui (Woman’s life)

Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, and Kaqchikel.