UOG’s Delos Reyes returns from transformative leadership program in the Netherlands

Just days before, the Business Administration major returned from a trip to the Netherlands, where the Council for Opportunity in Education (https://coenet.org/keith-sherin-global-leaders-program) hosted undergraduate TRIO program participants as part of the 2025 Keith Sherin Global Leaders Study Abroad Program in The Hague, the country's administrative center and seat of government.

Delos Reyes was one of just 10 students from the U.S. selected to participate in the annual program with other groups of student leaders from around the globe.

Their first week kicked off with students getting to know their host country in a “very homey and cozy” rustic setting, where the young leaders bonded through their shared backgrounds as low income and first-generation students.

Together they “got comfortable with the uncomfortable,” learning how to handle some of the issues – “the -isms, like racism and sexism” – they’d face as young professionals in their respective fields.

Among the highlights of that first week was getting to pick the brains of the country’s “change makers” taking on various social challenges.

“As a Business Admin major, that’s the kind of thing I want to do,” she said.

The students then spent the next two weeks in a more traditional classroom setting at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, which includes courses based on the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

 

“We had a choice between two classes,” she said. “I registered for Peace, Justice, Human Rights, and the European Union.”

In addition to tackling their summer coursework, participants enjoyed cultural exchange activities in Amsterdam and field trips to the International Court of Justice and the country’s parliament building.

“They gave us a lot of freedom and we got to immerse ourselves in the culture,” she said.

Her recent experiences, Delos Reyes said, have significantly broadened her vision of what’s possible in the near term and beyond.

“For my whole college career, I've had thoughts of going into law school after my bachelor's,” she said. “Ever since I studied abroad, I think I want to get my master's in Europe.”

 

Help along the way

While the incoming senior said her years at UOG have been “a beautiful experience,” she also acknowledged the challenges that come with being the first member of her family to pursue a higher education.

Delos Reyes credits TRIO Student Support Services with empowering her to navigate the university’s undergraduate program from the start.

“They were like my guiding hand,” she said. “I got a lot of mentorship from them, and a lot of opportunities as well.”

In particular, she points to TRIO educational specialist Jacklyn Garote as having been a trusted mentor over the years.

“I can go to her for very personal advice and she's just always been like my ‘push’ when it comes to things, even non-school stuff,” said Delos Reyes.

“I'm a very indecisive person, so I think she kind of like makes the picture clearer for me. As simple as just registering for classes or how to go about paying for tuition. So it's things like that where I can't always seek advice from family because I'm a first-generation student.”

In fact, it was TRIO’s Garote who first told Delos Reyes about the opportunity with the study abroad program, as well as the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and Research Corporation of UOG Travel Award that made the trip possible.

“I feel like she really needed to realize how much leadership potential she has,” Garote said. 

“She really is a well-rounded student and super active, and I couldn't think of a better representative to go.”

 

An incredible opportunity

Delos Reyes said the leadership program helped her realize not only the scope of her potential, but also the value of the support systems that helped her get there. To any UOG students who might be considering TRIO, she has only words of encouragement.

“Just do it,” she said. “You really never know what's waiting for you on the other side.”

UOG’s TRIO Student Support Services program, part of a nationwide network funded by the U.S. Department of Education, has long played a pivotal role in helping first-generation and low-
income students thrive. UOG TRIO offers academic advising, mentoring, financial guidance, and connects students with opportunities like the Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program – all designed to create more pathways to success.

As Delos Reyes looks toward a master’s degree abroad and a future in global leadership, she said her foundation at UOG will always be part of the story.

“I think learning here in Guam, in my hometown, has connected me more to my roots,” she said. “But gaining that kind of learning from outside of the island really gave me a different perspective, opening up my mind to all the possibilities.”