Get to know GRACES’ new staff member!
Get to know Fernanda Simaj, GRACES’ new Sponsorship Coordinator
We are thrilled to introduce our newest staff member, Fernanda Simaj! Fernanda is joining us officially after working part time as a translator for Vision Trips over the last couple of years. Fernanda is a graduate of both Escuela Integrada and Academy of Future Leaders and comes to us with a deep knowledge of the work we do. We sat down with her to learn a little bit more about her background and what she looks forward to in her new role.
GRACES: What are you most excited for in your new role with GRACES?
Fernanda: I am deeply excited to be part of the connection between children and their sponsors, to walk alongside the children as they grow, and to be part of a process that transforms lives, just as it transformed mine. I am truly excited to work with GRACES because, for me, connection is something very important. It was at Escuela Integrada where I met someone who, through love and support, made us part of her family and forever changed my life and my sisters’ lives. Today, I have the opportunity to be part of that same connection for other children, and that fills my heart with gratitude.
GRACES: What would you like others to know about you and your experience?
Fernanda: I consider myself an empathetic, committed and deeply grateful person. God and my family are the most important things in my life, and everything I am today is thanks to His guidance and to the people He placed in my path. Every experience I have lived, both joyful and difficult, has taught me the value of empathy, support, and love within a community. My desire is to serve with my whole heart, always give my best, and be a genuine source of support for others.
GRACES: What is your history with GRACES and Escuela Integrada?
Fernanda: My parents moved to Antigua Guatemala, and my mother did not know where to enroll me in school until she heard about Escuela Integrada, where my educational journey began. For my mother, education was always a priority and a source of hope.
In 2017, my mom passed away when I was 11 years old. I was the oldest of four girls. Escuela Integrada gave me something invaluable: a family. They have always been present when I have needed them the most. That is why connection is so meaningful to me, because knowing that someone truly cares about you feels deeply beautiful, especially when you feel like you cannot go on. God always responds in incredible ways.
GRACES: What inspires you?
Fernanda: I am inspired by the hope that, through this work, the children of Escuela Integrada will understand that even when opportunities seem limited, that does not define how far they can go. Instead, it is an invitation to work harder and have faith in their dreams. If I was able to do it, they can too, and even go further.
I want to be an example for them and remind them that God never leaves us alone, and that their sponsors will not either. In the future, if God leads me down that path, I would love to work with children who believe that the place where they were born is their only possible future. My mother taught me that there are always opportunities beyond where we grow up, especially when there is faith, effort, and people who believe in you.
GRACES staff member and former Sponsorship Coordinator Catherine Escobar Pensamiento is moving into a new role with our team where she will still oversee the Sponsorship Program, but will also get to exercise her talents in photography, videography, social media and donor communications. We want to extend our gratitude for all she has done in her years as the Sponsorship Coordinator and look forward to having her in the new role!
Year-end campaign raises $35,453 for Meal Support
GRACES’ year-end campaign came to a close as the clock struck midnight to ring in 2026! During the month of December, we raised $35,453 toward the Meal Support Program. This amount covers more than one-third of the total annual cost of providing food at the school!
With your support, we will be able to continue serving breakfast and lunch each day at the school, along with supplemental food bags during the school’s vacation months of November and December. Thank you to all who donated and gave so generously this December!
- Jan. 19: School starts for the 2026 academic year at Escuela Integrada
- Feb. 4-9: MasterMission Vision Trip
- Feb. 8-17: Diocese of Gallup Vision Trip