Milagros
Lighting the Way: Meet Milagros — A Catalyst for Change from Peru
Meet Milagros, a first-year student from Puno, Peru who is using the Systems Transformation Pathway: Leadership for Just Futures (STP) to turn dreams into action and bring meaningful change to communities across her country.
Despite only arriving less than a year ago, Milagros has already co-founded Luminous, a youth-led organisation born in 2024 alongside three other students from different regions of Peru. What began as a simple initiative to share educational opportunities through webinars and book donations has now evolved into a bold platform tackling some of the world’s most urgent challenges, through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We started with SDG 4 and 10—quality education and reducing inequality because that’s where we saw the biggest need,” she explains. “We began by donating books to rural schools and sharing webinars about scholarships and opportunities, especially for students like us from underserved areas.”
But the journey didn’t stop there. Moved by the stories of teenage mothers and survivors of sexual abuse in the Amazon region of Peru, Milagros launched a new branch of Luminous: Up To You. This project aims to expand access to sexual education while economically empowering young mothers through workshops and partnerships with local organisations like Mantay
“Many girls in rural or Indigenous communities don’t know their rights. If they don’t know what’s available, like free healthcare or protection services—they can’t access help or protect themselves,” she says.
Up To You received funding through the Festival of Hope and the International Baccalaureate, and this summer, the team will begin delivering workshops in three regions of Peru—Puno, Ica, and Piura. The sessions will offer sexual education, emotional support, and micro-funding for student-led community projects.
“We want to create a ripple effect—not just support young girls directly, but empower them to create impact in their own schools and communities”.
And Luminous continues to grow. Recently, the project secured an additional £2,000 from the Lighthouse funding stream, which will support environmental education initiatives. Partnering with local government and NGOs, the team is now working with Indigenous youth on Lake Titicaca to develop a biodiversity sticker book—a tool to raise awareness and generate circular income for local families.
“We’re not just educating, we’re co-creating. These teenagers are becoming agents of change themselves”.
Behind this inspiring impact is a story of persistence, humility, and transformation. Arriving at UWC Atlantic without fluent English and navigating a new education system, Milagros found her grounding not just in the classroom, but in her purpose.
“At first, everything was hard—STP, my subjects, the language,” she says candidly. “But I came here not just for the academics. I came because I believe in the UWC mission—to unite people and make education a force for peace.”
The Systems Transformation Pathway has been instrumental in helping her bring her ideas to life.
“STP is not just a class—it’s my space to dream,” she says, glowing. “It gave me the tools I didn’t have before. I used to guess what my community needed. Now, I ask. I listen. I co-create.”
Her passion is infectious, and the impact is already multiplying. At just 17, Milagros has mobilised students as young as 14 to volunteer and dream alongside her.
“I may have applied for the award, but the project is not mine alone. There’s a whole team back home—young, determined, hopeful. They’re the real magic behind this.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to study Environmental Public Health, combining her twin passions for justice and sustainability. But for now, her focus is on scaling what she’s started.
“I don’t want to rush. I want to grow what we’ve built with care. Little by little, we can reach more students and more communities. That’s my dream.”