Cultural Leadership Fellowship Stories

Europe 2023


On June 29, 2023, fifteen fellows embarked on the Summer 2023 Cultural Leadership Fellowship to Europe!

We traveled with what might be the first-ever all-DACA cohort to Lisbon, Portugal and Paris, France. We went to Sintra to explore the castles and learn from the historical monuments along the water, including the Belem Tower and Cristo Rei.

After Lisbon we headed to Paris. The cohort got a private tour around Notre Dame, visited the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles. There was so much to see and learn about history, art, culture, architecture and more!

The Cultural Leadership Fellowship takes Europe. The fellows pictured in front of the Arc de Triomph. Along with a photo of the Eiffel tower and a group photo on the far left.
The fellows traveled to Lisbon, Portugal and visited Sintra and other historical monuments.
The fellows in Paris, France. We visited the Louvre and Luxembourg. Including other beautiful attractions.


Kalesi and Brenda's Experience

Two fellows who shared their experience traveling to Europe. Kalesi on the left and Brenda on the right.
Kalesi: "The most impactful experience I had in being a part of the Cultural Leadership Fellowship was being able to explore new parts of the world I’d only seen in the movies or read about on my own, and somehow feeling some sort of peace throughout my travels because of the people I’d made friends with along the way. I’m super grateful to have made amazing friendships during both the fellowship and on my solo travels, to have met good people from all over the world, and to ample amount of joy and laughter."


Brenda: "The most impactful experience I had in being a part of the Cultural Leadership Fellowship was the agency I felt in creating beautiful memories and connections in places I never imagined I would visit. This experience opened me up to imagining greater collective joy and connection to place(s) beyond borders."