Two years ago, Camila Duque found herself wondering through the hallways a Wednesday after school. After being notified that Heroe Camina had been canceled for that day, she spotted an approximate of ten disoriented soldiers waiting for the program to begin. Without any experience, she managed to teach the soldiers all by herself. Through the class, the soldiers became widely interested and were anxious in continuing to learn English. With laughter and smiles, the class became an unforgettable one for both the soldiers and for Duque.

After several years of being a part of this program, Camila Duque a TCS senior, has now become one of the three Heroe Camina leaders. Heroe Camina is an ongoing program at TCS were students help soldiers learn English. Including dealing with the huge responsibilities that come when directing this program, she must keep in mind her NHS leadership and 12th grade duties. Even though it has definitely been a challenge for her, she has proven to be an admirable and valuable leader.

Her passion for this program has been thriving all throughout the years. Heroe Camina has been a program that has interested Duque for a very long time, and since she has become more involved with it, her leadership skills have improved.

“The first time I became interested in becoming an Heroe Camina leader was when once I had to deal with all Heroe stuff by myself. It wasn’t even planned but I think it worked out well. Although I was freaking out, I discovered I could [actually] be a leader; and even though the situation was stressful it was very gratifying,” said Duque.

Hereo Camina has become a crucial element of Duque’s life since she’s not only working to progress on her leadership skills, but also she has got the chance to work side by side with admirable people whose lives, without a doubt, have changed.

“Working with her has made my task much easier because we are able to divide and conquer. She has her own little area and she creates the curriculum for everyone. [This] makes everyone’s life easier because [with her by our side] we know what we need to teach and do,” said Susana Mejia, senior at TCS and leader of Heroe Camina.

“We had one day where we weren’t with her and it was very stressful because without her managing what everyone needed to teach the heroes, [everything became] stressful,” said Mejia.  

When planning and organizing Heroe Camina, Duque is in charge of outlining what will be taught to the soldiers. With hard work, determination and persistence, she started to conceive different lessons and plan the curriculum in order to make the soldiers way of learning easier. According to Oxford Royale Academy, English is one of the hardest languages to learn. Even though it has been a challenge for both the students who teach but also to the soldiers, every one has fallen in love with the program.

With the help of Duque, the experience of being part of Heroe Camina has become remarkable.

“Definitely the program is extremely well organized, you get to see the excellent work done by the leaders,” said Daniel Fernando, one of the soldiers who participates in Heroe Camina. “The curriculum is also greatly organized since it helps us learn English very well.”

Duque’s determination and affection for this program has helped the soldiers progress or enhance on their skills, and has it has further opened new doors for them.

“I love learning English because it brings us many opportunities and it helps us see life better. It is a change; it’s doing something different; it gets us out of the ordinary,” said Fernando.

Dealing with a greater challenge

Keeping in mind that 12th grade is one of the most nerve-racking years, Duque has found herself sometimes on edge, since she must deal with all of her applications, NHS and Heroe Camina leadership.

“The most difficult part of handling both leaderships, is time and stress management,” said Duque. “It really has been a lot, a lot of work keeping up with Heroe, NHS, academics, hobbies and college plans but it was my decision at the end to take on these responsibilities. However I am really trying to manage my time better, doing what is immediate first and trying to prioritize [some things].”

Not only is Duque in charge of directing a very essential part in Heroe Camina, she also plays a very significant role in NHS that for many it is the most important.

“It is a plus side that in NHS I am in charge of service and providing service opportunities,” Duque said.

Social hours has become a very decisive aspect for NHS and it is also a requirement to complete a total of 80 social hours in order to graduate. This has proven that Duque is a great source and can help every student at TCS with social hours.

A future filled with opportunities

When applying to universities most look for involvement in school activities and leadership skills. Without a doubt, Duque has a wide set of opportunities since she has been a widely involved and implicated leader who pours her heart and soul into the program. She has not only proven it to teachers but also to her classmates that she can definitely be a very persistent leader.

As said by Duque, “All the leadership roles that I decided to take, especially this year, have not only had a positive influence on my college applications but it also and most importantly made a boost on my confidence.”