(from left to right: Richelle Caday, school principal, Evelyn Castillo, Jacob Olaguir, and Camillo Geaga meet the school children of Giporlos Central Elementary School, July 2019
In July 2019, for the fourth year in a row, the Bayanihan Foundation continues another successful NEXTGEN Travel Fellowship. Since 2015, the Bayanihan Foundation traveled with 12 young Filipino Americans and they visited historic sites in the Philippines; learned more about their Filipino heritage; connected with the foundation’s sustainable projects; and encouraged them to give back to the community, locally and globally.
In 2019, the Bayanihan Foundation brought three young Filipino Americans back to the Philippines – Richelle Caday, Camillo Geaga, and Jacob Olaguir. This immersion trip is coordinated to promote diaspora philanthropy; know more about Filipino culture; learn about the foundation’s sustainable projects; connect and develop the participant’s potential sustainable projects; and connect with relatives and the participant’s heritage.
(from left to right: Richelle Caday, Jacob Olaguir, Camillo Geaga, Dale Asis, and Venise Castillo) visits US General MacArthur landing site in Palo, Leyte (July 2019)
Stay tuned for highlights of the 2019 NEXTGEN trip.
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2019 NEXTGEN Fellows
Richelle Caday, University of Southern California (USC)
Richelle Caday
Richelle Caday is a second-generation Pilipinx-American from Carson, CA. She is an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California (USC) completing her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology as well as in Non-Governmental Organizations and Social Change with a minor in Organizational Leadership and Management. As a student leader in multiple organizations on campus, including USC Troy Philippines and the Asian Pacific American Student Assembly, Richelle has a strong passion for serving her community. Though she has traveled to the Philippines before, she is excited to further explore her Pilipinx identity through diaspora philanthropy with the NEXTGEN program and Bayanihan Foundation.
Camillo Geaga, California State University Northridge (CSUN)
Camillo Geaga
Camillo Geaga is deeply honored and once again excited to be a recipient of the NEXTGEN Fellowship. The past few years, Camillo has developed connections in the Philippines and also has evolved personally and professionally. Born in Oakland, CA, Camillo grew up in the CA bay area where he graduated from high school. In 2019, he recently received an Associate’s degree from the Los Angeles City College (LACC). He was recently accepted at California State University Northridge (CSUN) and plans to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health. Since 2016, Camillo has been involved with the NEXTGEN program and is excited to be going for the third time.
Jacob Olaguir, University of New Mexico (UNM)
Jacob Olaguir
Jacob Olaguir was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico (NM). His father is from Biabas, Bohol and moved from Long Beach, CA to Albuquerque, NM. Jacob was raised in a low-income community in Albuquerque called Barelas. He recently graduated from Albuquerque High School. This fall 2019, Jacob plans to study Marketing with a focus in Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media at University of New Mexico. Through the values that his father taught him, he plans in using his Marketing, Film, and Digital media degree to help build a better perception of the Filipino American community in New Mexico. Jacob is excited to go to the Philippines for the first time. He’s looking forward to know more about his Filipino heritage and learn about opportunities to help locally back home in Albuquerque, NM and globally back in the Philippines.
