From Montería to the World: Yanilis Romero, a Fulbright teacher who is transforming education in Colombia
There are stories that inspire not only because of what they achieve, but also because of the journey they take to get there. Yanilis Romero’s is one of them. Born in Santa Fe, a working-class neighborhood in Montería, she grew up in a family made up mainly of women, many of whom had no access to formal education. She was the first in her family to attend college, driven by her mother’s unwavering support and a belief she had held since childhood: that knowledge has the power to transform lives.
His passion for teaching began at home, alongside his grandmother, who could neither read nor write. Telling her stories and helping her understand the world through words was Yanilis’s first classroom. Later on, a teacher helped shape her educational journey by teaching her that believing in one’s own abilities is also a way of learning. From that moment on, she decided to become the teacher she herself had needed.
It wasn’t an easy journey. Yanilis studied despite financial constraints, working to keep from dropping out of college, and learning—as she herself puts it—to see opportunities even in the midst of difficulties. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Córdoba, completed a specialization program, then a master’s degree at the University of the North, and later a doctorate thanks to a Bicentennial scholarship program.
But it was in 2021 that her career took a decisive turn: Yanilis was selected as a Fulbright Visiting Student Researcher, an experience that broadened her pedagogical vision, connected her with global educational perspectives, and strengthened her conviction that a quality education cannot continue to be the privilege of a select few.
Back in Colombia, that learning experience led to action. Yanilis developed STEMGLISH + H, a proprietary educational model that integrates English language instruction with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, while adding a humanitarian component that empowers students to become agents of change in their communities.
His proposal not only spans disciplines—it crosses borders. In her view, learning English is not an end in itself, but a gateway to scholarships, international opportunities, and a new way of seeing the world—exactly what the Fulbright Scholarship meant to her.
What began as an initiative in an English classroom has grown into an institutional project that now encompasses various fields of study, a network of collaborative teachers, and an impact that extends far beyond the classrooms of Córdoba. Their work is specifically aimed at narrowing the gap between rural and urban education, and at demonstrating that students from vulnerable backgrounds deserve—and can access—an excellent education.
In March 2026, at the first edition of the National Teacher Prize in Colombia, held at the Universidad de los Andes, Yanilis Romero was recognized as one of the country’s most outstanding teachers. For her, the award is not the end goal, but rather a reflection of a collective effort: that of her students, who day by day transform their lives both inside and outside the classroom.
Yanilis Romero’s story is, in short, the story of what happens when a dedicated teacher finds the tools and opportunities to spread her wings—and decides to return to teach others how to do the same.