Lorena Ramirez ’02 is a storyteller by nature and circumstance. Born in Colombia to a pair of journalists, Ramirez and her family fled the country when she was just 13 years old and sought asylum in the United States, eventually landing in Elizabeth, N.J. “It was the most dangerous place for journalists in the world at that time,” she says. “We kind of left with the clothes on our back.”
Lorena quickly learned the power of storytelling: As the oldest child and the first in her family to learn English, she would often tell her family’s story at immigration hearings. After graduating from Wellesley with a double major in Latin American studies and peace and justice studies, she embarked on the yearlong Watson Fellowship, using the time for a project “collecting the life histories of women in prison.”
She then applied to a master’s program at the University of Cambridge, but she was still in “immigration limbo,” and her refugee status left her without access to financial aid. So Lorena wrote the university a “strong, heartfelt letter about my project, why it was worth it,” and why she needed funding—and it worked. She’s since worked at a research institute in Amsterdam, a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia, and a children’s charity in London.
Five years ago, her career took another turn: After several years as a successful freelance admission consultant, Lorena wanted to pursue something with a wider impact. Taking inspiration from her experiences as a globetrotting researcher and a parent “constantly looking for opportunities for her kids to have learning experiences,” she began developing WipalaBox, an activity box for children ages 5 to 11 (wipalabox.com). Each box comes with a book, stickers, hands-on activities, and a keepsake crafted by Indigenous women artisans. “I thought, this is something that I really believe in, I think can have lasting impact on a community and on a child and a future global citizen,” Lorena says.
The first two “adventures,” launched in December 2023, follow the Maasai people of Tanzania and the Embera Chami people of Colombia.
“I just really believed in creating experiences for kids that were meaningful, enriching and empowering,” Lorena says.
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