The Limitless Horizons Ixil team is a dedicated group of individuals with a range of backgrounds and expertise. Our team reflects our organizational values and history of combining local knowledge and international resources with the expertise of individuals from all backgrounds. Local Guatemalan staff manage all programs, with operational support carried out by international staff.

Leadership Team

Katie Morrow

Executive Director & Co-Founder

Katie grew up in California and earned her bachelor’s degree in community studies from the University of California Santa Cruz when she was 18. She then worked and traveled across the US, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Katie went back to school to study social work with a focus on international communities and completed her Master of Social Work from San Jose State. After Katie’s first visit to Chajul in 2003, she was compelled by the beautiful culture and generosity of the people, juxtaposed with the lack of educational opportunities, particularly for girls. She saw within these girls, who were living in intense poverty, the desire and motivation to continue their education. Katie has spent a significant part of each year since then in Guatemala working alongside locals from Chajul to bring new opportunities to the community through education and community development. Katie has also led over 50 service-learning trips across Latin America since 2003, helping youth and adults gain appreciation for new cultures and bringing service projects to communities in need. Katie oversees all areas of Limitless Horizons Ixil’s operations, including planning, partnerships, fundraising and fiscal management, programs, and staff management.

Fun fact: Katie likes all things salsa—she is an avid dancer and loves her food spicy

Odilia Cedillo

Guatemala Co-Director & Colegio Horizontes Director

Odilia grew up in the community of Salquil Grande in Nebaj, one of the three municipalities of the Ixil region. She completed her primary and middle school there. In 2008, for a variety of reasons, she could no longer continue her studies; among them, a lack of economic resources. In 2009, she was finally able to convince her father to enroll her in the Ixil Mixed High School of Nebaj and support her to study for the bilingual teaching certificate. She succeeded in graduating in 2011. Despite further difficulties, she began her university career in 2015. Three years later, she was awarded the department’s medal of academic excellence. In 2019, she graduated with a Middle School Teaching Certificate in Pedagogy with a focus in Environmental Studies at the University Centre of Quiché-Nebaj; she is currently studying for her bachelor’s degree. Odilia is aware that access to quality education for children and youth is very limited, especially in a country where it is not a priority; however, she is sure that anyone can be a change-maker if they have innate motivation, self-determination, and the ability to defy expectations and act with conviction and purpose. She is oversees all things Colegio Horizontes and is thrilled to be directly contributing to improving education in Chajul.

Fun fact: During her childhood, Odilia was always looking for ways to get her hands on a book; although she didn’t know about literary genres, she always loved reading. One day, she wants to write her own book.

Zuliana Cristabel López Toledo

Guatemala Co-Director

Zuli was raised in San Miguel Uspantán del Quiché as one of four siblings. Although her parents never had the opportunity to study, they instilled in each of their children a desire for learning and encouraged them to attend school. From an early age, Zuli was both a great student and athlete. At the age of 15, she was offered a full scholarship to study physical education and play on the handball team at an athletic boarding school. After graduating from high school, she studied sports massage therapy before pursuing a degree in law at the prestigious Universidad Nacional de San Carlos de Guatemala.  Zuli is passionate about helping to empower children, women, and families to overcome societal barriers, and has applied her education and abundant energy to that effect. She has worked as a supervisor for a state project that built homes for Guatemalans displaced during the Civil War, as a university administrator, and as a counselor of neglected children. At Limitless Horizons Ixil, Zuli oversees organizational operations and legal needs as well as our Community Library and Emerging Leaders Program.

Fun fact: Zuli opened an extremely popular Zumba studio.

David Imul

Community Library Director

David grew up in Chajul as one of eight siblings. His parents could not afford to send him to middle school, but he was able to continue his studies when he joined our Youth Development Program in 2008. Thanks to his hard work and resourcefulness, David graduated from high school with a degree in primary education from the Escuela Normal Regional de Occidente in Sololá. As a student, David frequently completed his work-study and service hours in our library. David joined the staff in 2013, and his warm, engaging demeanor makes him a fantastic librarian. He manages the library’s daily operations, leads story hour and reading club, supervises interns and volunteering youth, manages inventory, and helps library members with their assignments. David is also studying agricultural engineering at La Universidad Rural de Guatemala in Nebaj, as his future plans include tackling issues in Chajul related to health, malnutrition, and food access.

Fun fact: David loves languages, already speaking three fluently (Spanish, Ixil, and Quiché), and is eager to practice his growing English vocabulary with visitors.

Eymi Canay

Operations & Community Outreach Manager

Eymi was one of the first girls supported by Limitless Horizons Ixil. She was at the top of her class throughout her schooling and received her bilingual (Spanish-English) secretary high school degree in 2012 from Colegio Utatlán de Santa Cruz de Quiché. Eymi joined the staff in 2013 as Program Associate. Eymi continues to study on the weekends, pursuing a joint B.A. and master’s degree in business administration at Mariano Gálvez University in Quiché and Quetzaltenango. In Eymi’s current role as Operations & Community Outreach Manager, she attends to youth and mothers, and manages accounting and operations.

Fun fact: Eymi possesses many extraordinary skills, but few know of her uncanny ability to imitate distinctive voices!

Erin Treinen

Director of Development & Communications

Originally from Minnesota, Erin came to Guatemala in 2006 with the Peace Corps. During that time, she fell in love with Guatemala, its people, food, landscapes, and rich culture, and has lived here ever since. Over the past 18 years, Erin has worked for nonprofits and development projects, leading medical teams and facilitating capacity-building for midwives with Helps International, fundraising and hosting 900 annual visitors at Common Hope, and writing detailed reports and success stories for the USAID-funded Peacebuilding Project. She was drawn to Limitless Horizons Ixil because of her firm belief that education is the key to individual empowerment. Erin is motivated by human connection with staff and program participants, as well as storytelling that educates and inspires donors. She lives near Antigua and enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Fun fact: Erin loves to spend time in nature, observing birds, insects, butterflies, and almost nothing brings her more joy than watching a changing sunset.

Administrative Team

Ixmucané Itzep Yat

Head Accountant

Ixmucané was born in Chajul and started her studies at the age of five. Before finishing primary school, she found out about Horizontes and applied for the scholarship, winning it. Having the support of Horizontes with the trainings and workshops was invaluable to her. She discovered that in order to get ahead, she needed to continue studying. She was surrounded by people who had studied but it wasn’t easy for them, which helped motivate her: Her parents were able to finish a degree with scholarships from other institutions. When the time came to choose a technical degree, the choice was simple: Since she was a child she had liked accounting. She was able to graduate in 2022 and her first job was in a restaurant as a cashier. But in February 2023 she found out Horizontes needed an accountant and she joined the team! By 2024 she plans to resume her studies with the career of Public Accounting and Auditing.

Fun fact: In her free time, Ixmucané loves to read.

Elisa Melchora Mendoza Pacheco

Administrative & Accounting Assistant

Elisa was born in Chajul, the oldest of eleven siblings. Her parents were not able to attend school due to Guatemala’s civil war, and she is the first in her family to pursue an education. Elisa earned a Youth Development Program scholarship 2008, and with the continued support through high school, she graduated in 2014, earning her degree in Intercultural Bilingual Education at the Western Regional Normal School in the department of Sololá. After graduating she looked for job opportunities that would allow her to continue her university studies. In 2015 Elisa worked as a facilitator teaching adult literacy at Comite Nacional de Alfabetización (CONALFA), and in 2016 she began a fellowship in Limitless Horizons Ixil’s library. In 2017 she received a scholarship from Fundación para Estudios y Profesionalización Maya (FEPMaya), which allowed her to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting (Public Administration and Auditing) at Mariano Gálvez University. Elisa is currently studying English as well and in 2022 she joined the Limitless Horizons Ixil staff as the Administrative and Accounting Assistant. Her desk is in our front office – and Elisa is the first welcoming face people see when they visit Limitless Horizons Ixil.

Fun fact: Elisa’s loves making necklaces, earrings, rings, and beaded bracelets.

Colegio Horizontes Teachers

Cecilia Xinic

Technology Teacher & Coordinator

Cecilia completed high school in Chajul with the support of her grandfather, and not willing to stop pursuing her professional goals, left Chajul to study high school in Uspantán. In 2011, she graduated as a computer expert and returned to Chajul to work at Limitless Horizons Ixil. She also took a vocational class through the computer repair program at INTECAP Sololá with the support of Limitless Horizons Ixil. In 2016, her interest in professional improvement led her to begin to attend the School of Systems Engineering at Universidad Mariano Gálvez de Guatemala. She is currently our technology and art teacher and equips students with the computer skills they will need to face a world increasingly reliant on technology. She also provides tech support to our computers and other equipment at Limitless Horizons Ixil.

Fun fact: Cecilia is a trendsetter. She is the first person from Chajul to design a huipil (a traditional, hand-woven blouse) in a lighter and softer style. This style is now popular among women all over town!

Antonio Laynez Batz

English and Social Studies Teacher

Antonio has spent his whole life in Chajul. At 24 years of age, thanks to his parents’ efforts and the support of various organizations such as Limitless Horizons Ixil, Filantropis ONG, Fundación Ixil, UVG-Altiplano, Access MicroScholarship Program, and Centro Estudiantil Amanecer, he graduated with a degree in touristic business administration. Antonio is the first of five children, and his parents are illiterate since they did not have access to education due to the internal war in Guatemala. In 2009, he obtained a scholarship from Limitless Horizons Ixil to attend middle school in Chajul. In 2012, he had the opportunity to enroll at the Technical Institute at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala – Campus Altiplano to pursue a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree with another scholarship from the Embassy of the United States in Guatemala to learn English. Antonio has worked as a tour guide and knows and has traveled to various parts of the country. He has also taught English in several private schools in Chajul and has experience in using the English language. In 2019, he graduated from college, presenting his thesis on Mayan clothing in Chajul.

Fun fact: His interest in the English language dates back to when he was a child. His father used to take him to the Chajul municipal market every Thursday to buy American clothes, and he was always curious to know what the shirts or sweaters had written on them.

Edilma Magdelena Ihom Hernandez

Ixil Language and Grammer Teacher

Edilma was born and raised in Chajul and she has three brothers and three sisters. Coming from humble beginnings, Edilma graduated high school with a degree in Teaching and Primary Education with a focus in Bilingual and Intercultural Studies at the University of San Juan in Ostuncalco, Quetzaltenango in 2009. Edilma went on to gain her Bachelor’s degree in bilingual intercultural education. In 2023 she began teaching Ixil Language and Grammar at Colégio Horizontes. Edilma is approachable, kind, and very talkative. She is the mother of three daughters.

Fun fact: Edilma loves to interpret the Ixil calendar and meanings of certain dates.

David Raymundo Ceto

Natural Sciences and Movement Teacher

David grew up in Santa María Nebaj, Quiché, a municipality in the Ixil area near Chajul, as the sixth of eight siblings. His parents did not have the opportunity to attend school. However, his mother and two older siblings fought for him to graduate high school as a Bilingual Primary Education Teacher from the Instituto Mixto Diversificado Ixil in Nebaj. He is currently studying Agronomic Engineering in Agricultural Production Systems at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. David believes that at Limitless Horizons Ixil, he has a unique opportunity to combine teaching with agricultural sciences to be an educator of both the Natural Sciences and the Movement courses at Colegio Horizontes.

Fun fact: He loves to be capturing images with his camera!

Susana Cedillo

Science and Language Arts Teacher

Susana (Susi) lived the first years of her life in the capital city of Guatemala. When she was 5 years old, she moved with her parents to the municipality of Santa María Nebaj, where she went to school. In high school, she studied “Science and Letters with a focus in Education.” She then went on to be recognized as a distinguished student at the University of San Carlos de Guatemala, where she studied Secondary Education and Educational Administration with a specialty in Environmental Studies. Since 2016, she has received additional training in other subject areas, such as: gender equity and equality, sexuality, social and community violence, and community leadership. Plus, she participated in the creation of a book about life in the municipality of Nebaj.

Fun fact: Susi loves psychology, graphic design, and dancing!

Juan Tum Herrera

Entrepreneurship and Art Teacher

Juan Herrera was born and raised in the community of Xolcuay in the Municipality of Chajul. He is the second of seven siblings, but his older brother died when he was only five years old. He studied at the local public school in his community. His parents never had the opportunity to study, so they went to great lengths to ensure he and his siblings could study. As a result, he was able to attend middle school at a local boarding school. In highschool, he studied as a technician in rural health in Quiriguá, Izabal but for personal reasons he was forced to abandon that career. In 2017 he continued his studies at the Nebaj Technological Center as a Construction Drawing Technician. In 2015 he decided to study secondary education at the Panamerican University. As of 2023, he is in the process of graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Pedagogy, which is why he is so grateful to be part of the team of educators at Limitless Horizons Ixil.

Fun fact: Juan likes to dance and is a vocalist in a band at his church. He has even recorded an album!

Elías Cal Choc

Social Studies and Movement Teacher

Elías was born and raised in Belejú, a village in the municipality of Chicamán, where he spent the vast majority of his life with his loved ones in the village and was lucky to have the support of his parents to study, which is what he most enjoyed doing. Elías has always been an outstanding student so his parents gave him the opportunity to continue studying through middle school, the last year of which he completed at a private school. Elías was awarded a half scholarship which helped him complete his GED with a focus on Education in Guatemala City, where his love of the art of teaching and learning was reaffirmed. He continued on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Education, during which he worked as a substitute teacher and moved to Nebaj, while continuing to study on Sundays. Elías feels very proud and grateful to be part of the Limitless Horizons Ixil team, which has given him the opportunity to further his professional, academic, and personal growth.

Fun fact: Elías likes to travel and discover new places. His favorite hobbies are learning and creating animated videos.

Colegio Horizontes Mentors

Marina Caba Xinic

Mentor

Marina is from Chajul and comes from a family of eight with limited economic resources. Her parents told her she would not be able to continue studying because they could not afford to send both of their daughters to school. However, she earned a scholarship from Limitless Horizons Ixil and was able to continue studying with her older sister. She attended Instituto Normal Mixto Juan de León and completed her degree in urban primary education. She was one of the first to graduate from the Youth Development Program and went on to work for several years as a librarian in the Saber Sin Límites Community Library. Before becoming part of our school mentorship team, Marina was the Youth Development Program Coordinator. Now her role is to support and empower students to overcome adversities that occur in their daily lives. She also facilitates workshops for parents about how to support their children in reaching academic success.

Fun fact: Marina was a part of her high school’s soccer team. They would compete against other schools and always won their games!

Olga Manuela Caba Laynez

Mentor

Olga was born in Chajul and comes from a family that was deeply affected by Guatemala’s civil war. Although her parents never had the opportunity to study, they encouraged Olga and her siblings to obtain an education. Olga attended elementary school in Chajul before receiving a scholarship with Limitless Horizons Ixil that enabled her to continue on to middle and high school. During her time as a scholar, she completed her service hours at the Saber Sin Limites (Limitless Knowledge) community library, where she discovered her passion for art and working with children. While attending high school at the Escuela Normal Bilingue Intercultural in Nebaj, she worked for an educational program that supported youth ages 15+ in math and statistics and held internships that allowed her to combine her interests in art and education. Following her graduation from high school in 2017, Olga volunteered for three months with Save the Children on a variety of youth projects. When she learned about an opening at the Saber Sin Limites (Limitless Knowledge) Community Library, she knew the position was for her! As a librarian, Olga supported various activities for two years. Now she is a part of the mentorship team at Limitless Horizons – her role is to support and empower students to overcome adversities that occur in their daily lives. She also facilitates workshops for parents about how to support their children in reaching academic success. She facilitates discussions on topics that include: sexual education, empowered voices, gender equality, and harmonious communication between students. On the weekends she is working towards her university degree.

Fun fact: Olga loves to explore, connect with nature and travel to different places to learn about other cultures and how people live.

Regina Puente Laynez

Mentor

Originally from the Municipality of San Gaspar Chajul, Magdalena Regina graduated as a teacher of Bilingual Intercultural Primary Education in Sololá and went on to become a Philanthropiece scholar. Since then, she has completed a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology at the Mariano Gálvez University. During her time at Philanthropiece, she participated in the creation of the social enterprise AKUALUMI. In 2016 she was elected as “Me’al Tenam” (Daughter of the town) of San Gaspar Chajul, a local beauty contest among school-aged girls. Since primary school and high school, she has participated in the indoor soccer championships at the departmental (state) level, as a goalkeeper on a winning team.

Fun fact: Regina loves to write poems, dance, organize cultural activities, and plan events.

Saber Sin Límites Community Library

Rosa Regina Rivera Caba

Librarian

Regina joined Limitless Horizons Ixil when she enrolled in the intensive Spanish program in 2010. In 2014, she completed her high school degree at the Community Institute for Women in Quetzaltenango, where her studies focused on education. Afterwards, she enrolled at San Carlos University, studying primary education. Regina is very grateful to be working at the library. She is always happy to see children come in with smiles on their faces and finds accomplishment in helping to facilitate their learning and growth.

Fun fact: In her free time, Regina loves to create her own huipils and spend time with her daughter and family.

International Team

Michelle Paterick

International Operations & School Coordinator

Michelle is committed to community development and has over a decade of experience in the education sector. After studying Psychology and Spanish at the University of Georgia, she co-founded Real LEDGE Honduras, a nonprofit organization based in Tegucigalpa that aims to develop communities through entrepreneurship. She served as the Executive Director for three years, and she has experience leading trainings with teachers, professors, deported migrants, indigenous women, middle school through university aged students, and community leaders. She was awarded a Fulbright scholarship through the U.S. State Department to pursue her master’s degree in Education in Finland where she studied for two years. Upon her return to her home state of Georgia, she served as a high school marketing and entrepreneurship teacher for two years and then worked as a 4-H Youth Development Agent at the University of Georgia. She is thrilled to be part of the Limitless Horizons Ixil team and absolutely loves working in Chajul.

Fun fact: Michelle is borderline obsessed with audiobooks, and she’s a rock climbing and contemporary art fanatic.

Jason James

Impact & Evaluation Manager + School Construction Field Manager

Jason split his childhood between the subways and skyscrapers of New York City and the rice paddies and coconut trees of Kerala, India. At the age of 12 in Bangalore, India, he witnessed the stark contrast between the modern headquarters of multinational corporations and the makeshift shelters of the surrounding slums. Ever since, Jason has been driven to understand and overcome poverty and inequality. That drive has led him along various career paths including working as a public auditor, facilitating youth groups in Los Angeles and Bolivia, and helping to expand participatory budgeting processes in New York. Jason finally embraced the field of international development and earned his master’s degree from George Washington University in 2014 with a primary interest in Latin American community-based development. He has been with Limitless Horizons Ixil since 2015 and is currently responsible for impact evaluation, organizational capacity building, and team professional development.

Fun fact: Jason is convinced that coconut oil, baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and green tea are enough for practically all one’s shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and other household needs… plus they’re all edible!

Elena Laswick

Development & Communications Consultant

Elena was born and raised on the U.S./Mexico border in Tucson, Arizona, and bridging cultures through storytelling and travel has been a theme in her life and work ever since. She has lived in Nebaj for seven years, and joined the Limitless Horizons Ixil team in 2023. Since graduating from William & Mary in 2014, she has been drawn to marketing and communications positions specifically around education, textiles, indigenous rights, and cultural preservation. After working for several NGOs and social businesses, she was inspired to create two social businesses of her own: Ixil Collective and Amano Marketplace, which created go-to-market strategies for 1,000+ Guatemalan and Peruvian artisans during COVID, and gave her extensive experience in marketing and project management. She also currently serves on the board of Weave a Real Peace, where she led a rebranding initiative and is the Marketing Chair.

Fun fact: Elena makes and sells natural yogurt and peanut butter in Nebaj!

Heather White

Development & Communications Consultant

Heather grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, and is now based in Portland, Maine. She earned her BA in Sociology and Spanish from Clark University and her MPA from Northeastern University’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. In 2014 Heather moved to Guatemala to work with a nonprofit in Antigua and since then has continued her career in communications and development roles. Heather was the Director of Development & Communications from 2022–2024 and continues to support the organization’s ongoing communications and development needs.

Fun fact: Heather loves to run and bike and is often found exploring Maine’s coastline and trails with her puppy, Luna.

Joanna Drew

Grants Manager

After graduating from college, Joanna ventured off to remote parts of the world to discover new cultures, languages, and ways of life. What she realized through her travels was that the majority of the world’s population lacks access to basic social services and quality education. This realization moved her to pursue a career working towards securing equal opportunities for overlooked and vulnerable communities throughout the world. Her career spans three continents, in which she’s worked to increase the fundraising capacity of community-led projects and NGOs. She holds a BSc in Business Administration from Boston University and a MA in International Development from the University of Kent Brussels School of International Studies. Joanna is the grants manager and master storyteller for Limitless Horizons Ixil.

Fun fact: Joanna is a life-long student and is always open to learning new things. She believes that every living being has wisdom to share—even the birds and the trees!

Filipa Lopes

Capacity-Building & Program Specialist

Filipa grew up on the coast of Portugal and is now based in Madrid, Spain. She holds a law degree from Nova University in Lisbon, Portugal, and a master’s degree in international law with a specialization in human rights from the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands. Filipa started her career at the United Nations Population Fund, the NGO Defence for Children International, and the European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macao and served as the operations and project development coordinator and specialist at Limitless Horizons Ixil for more than three years. She currently coordinates a coalition related to the protection of the environment, climate, and human rights and supports the Limitless Horizons Ixil team with program management, capacity-building, monitoring and evaluation, and partnerships as the Capacity-Building & Program Specialist.

Fun fact: Filipa loves being close to nature and dreams about hiking more volcanoes and mountains when she’s back in beautiful Guate!

Gary Bloom

Senior Education Consultant

Gary grew up in Los Angeles, California with his immigrant family, engaging with political and social justice issues at an early age. His professional career has centered in Central California, where he has served as a bilingual teacher, school principal, school superintendent, and at the university level. Gary has written many professional articles and several books, and is an active consultant and trainer in the United States and beyond.

Fun fact: Gary loves the study of paleontology, and has worked with professional paleontologists searching for fossils in California, Florida, South Dakota, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Argentina.

Pedro Caba Asicona

Co-Founder & Advisory Director

Pedro grew up in Chajul during and immediately after the civil war when the community had very few educational opportunities. He was raised working in the fields, carrying firewood, and shining shoes to make a little money. Through sacrifice, luck, and very hard work Pedro became the first person from Chajul to attend university and obtain a bachelor’s degree. He completed a certificate in Maya world studies and his degree in civil engineering at the University of San Carlos in Guatemala City. He has earned his Master of Engineering degree and now works to improve water infrastructure in San Marcos, Guatemala. Since co-founding Limitless Horizons Ixil in 2004 with a more hands-on role in its first few years, Pedro’s role is now advisory and he supports Limitless Horizons Ixil with guidance on government relations, legal compliance, and financial security in Guatemala and has served as a guide for visiting groups.

Fun fact: Pedro’s favorite time to visit Chajul is during feria, the annual town fair.