People
Meet the members of our 2023 board!
Erek Mirque
Founder and President
Erek is a sophomore majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. He is from Chicago, Illinois, and a fun fact about him is that he tried to double major in jazz his freshman year. He started Friends of Guatemala because he was lucky enough to see the amazing students of Seacacar and the beauty of the community, and he wanted to contribute to the village’s ongoing educational goals.
Sebastian Oliva
Vice President
Sebastian Oliva is a sophomore dual-majoring in Neuroscience and Computer Science. He is from Ann Arbor, MI, and a fun fact about him is that he loves motorcycles. He joined Friends of Guatemala because the club's commitment to tutoring and service aligns with his passion for making a meaningful impact on local children's lives and empowering them to chase their dreams..
Dev Patel
Secretary
Dev Patel is a junior majoring in Public Health. He is from Canton, Michigan, and a fun fact about him is that he’s on a competitive Indian dance team. He joined Friends of Guatemala because he loves the values it stands for, and the mission it is trying to achieve. As a public health major, he learns about health inequities across the world, and this gives him a chance to really make a change.
Adhav Rajesh
Treasurer
Adhav Rajesh is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science. He is from Brownstown, Michigan, and a fun fact about him is that he has only listened to one album for the past 2 weeks. He joined Friends of Guatemala because he loves the values Friends of Guatemala stands for and he is very excited about the opportunity to help others!.
Surya Sanjay
Communications Director
Surya Sanjay is a junior majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, with a minor in Computer Science. He is from Troy, MI, and a fun fact about him is that he loves to collect vinyl records and build websites (like this one!). He joined Friends of Guatemala because he thinks the idea of giving back is great as it is, but making use of recent technology (i.e. Zoom) to allow us to give back even more is even better.
Cindy Barrios
Education Committee Chair
Francesca Butsch
Fundraising Committee Chair
Francesca Butsch is a sophomore dual-majoring in Biology, Health, and Society and Spanish. She is from Cleveland, Ohio, and a fun fact about her is that she shares a birthday with my two younger brothers. She joined Friends of Guatemala because she would like to be part of the movement to educate and empower students to achieve their goals. But, more importantly, she’s excited to form new friendships and connections with the students and teachers in Seacacar.