Introducing Our Newest Staff Member!

My name is Fiona Brown, and I am excited to introduce myself as the Administrative and Events Coordinator for Friends of San Lucas. While I am new to Friends of San Lucas and the Mission, I have always had a deep love for fostering cross-cultural relationships. When I was six, I traveled to a small community in Kenya with my family and spent three weeks in the local first grade class while my mom worked at the hospital. My brother and I shared our favorite books with our classmates, and I returned to the US with new playground games to teach my class back home. Even at such a young age, this experience stuck with me. Since childhood, my family has emphasized reciprocity and an eagerness to learn.

Fiona at Machu Picchu!

In the spring of 2025, I had the opportunity to spend the semester abroad in Cusco, Peru. My classmates and I lived with Spanish-speaking host families and traveled from the rainforest to the high altitude regions to learn from Indigenous communities. Once again, reciprocity and relationship-building became how I made sense of an unfamiliar situation. Through this choque cultural (culture shock), my host family was my greatest support system. We spent hours sharing our favorite music, movies, and stories. My host mom cooked us her favorite meals, and my host sister, roommate, and I baked pies for her to celebrate Mother’s Day. During the last month of the program, I conducted independent research with bilingual Quechua and Spanish speakers living in Cusco. My interviewees, largely introduced to me by my host family and another friend, shared deeply personal stories with me, a trust that would not have existed without the help of the relationships I had invested in during my time in Cusco. Though it’s been over a year since I left, I still call my host mom every month.

Fiona and her host mom in Cusco, Peru.

After graduating from Macalester College this past spring, I didn’t know what the future would hold but dreamed of a role that would allow me to apply my International Studies and Anthropology degrees while aligning with my values of reciprocity and partnership. I never expected to find it just a few months after graduating. I am beyond grateful and excited to grow with Friends of San Lucas. I have seen how the Mission is changing lives both in Guatemala and in the US, and I hope to contribute to and experience this impact. I’m excited to connect more with the FOSL community!! Please do not hesitate to reach out and introduce yourself.