Diego Andres Chavez Rivera

Diego is a student, swimmer, and social entrepreneur from Venezuela, whose life has been defined not by the crisis around him – but by the constructive way he has responded to it. Born and raised in a time of instability, violence, and educational challenges, Diego has emerged as one of Venezuela’s most inspiring young voices for equity, empowerment, and international cooperation.

His journey began in the swimming pool, where, as a high-performance athlete, he taught children with disabilities how to swim – empowering them to defy expectations. This early experience of inclusion would shape his later work. In 2020, he was selected for the U.S. State Department’s Youth Ambassadors program and began to build connections beyond borders by becoming a permanent guest of Hanford High School’s Spanish Club, based in Richland, Washington – helping students virtually with their Spanish skills. He later returned to Youth Ambassadors as a youth mentor, helping other Venezuelan students change their lives. Since then, he participated in the CONCAUSA gathering by América Solidaria, was chosen to take part in the International Student Festival in Trondheim, Norway – where students exchange ideas on global issues – and was recently invited to the UNODC headquarters in Vienna, where his winning essay on corruption positioned him among the world’s top young changemakers.

Diego’s reach extends far beyond international stages. Through his eco-entrepreneurship project with Fundación Reusamas, he has trained vulnerable youth in sustainability, business, and leadership – turning recycled materials into tools for economic empowerment. In 2021, he was also named a Company of the Year Influencer by Junior Achievement Americas – becoming the first Venezuelan to achieve this recognition. In 2023–24, he became a Microsoft Student Ambassador, championing the ethical use of technology for education and access. Currently, his social media platform, Mundo de Nadadores, which celebrates disabled athletes and shares stories of perseverance, attracts over 100,000 followers.

Despite limited resources and having witnessed the hardships of his country, Diego remains committed to transforming Venezuela through education, storytelling, and youth empowerment. He believes education is an act of resistance, and creativity is a form of survival. His dream? To build a future where no Venezuelan child feels their dreams are too big for the country they live in.

If awarded the Global Student Prize, Diego plans to expand his work with the Reusamas Foundation. With additional funding, this could reach further communities and equip more students with the tools to dream beyond survival. Above all, Diego wants to win in order to inspire every young Venezuelan who has been told their voice doesn’t matter. He is here to prove that Venezuelans are more than just the headlines the world sees – and are worthy of belonging in spaces like this.