Authored by Zully Salazar, Sophie and Juliet’s mother and dedicated Ambassador volunteer.
DENVER, CO — For local non-profit organizations, the ultimate measure of success is seeing the long-term, generational impact of their programming. There is perhaps no greater example of this than the story of a Guatemalan immigrant family whose journey connects some of Denver’s most impactful community initiatives—culminating in life-changing support from The Ambassador Foundation.
The Foundation: Grit and Trade Education
The family’s story in Denver began with an unwavering belief that education is the pathway to a better life. Upon arriving from Guatemala, Milton Samuel attended high school, where a guidance counselor recommended, he enter a trade program for Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) maintenance. This path promised a skill set and the possibility of a future career.
To achieve this, he established a grueling dawn-to-dusk routine. From 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, he attended the high school trade program, balancing intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) classes with the rigorous mechanics of aviation. In the evenings, he worked at a local rotisserie chicken restaurant to help his parents pay rent. His relentless dedication paid off as he graduated from High School, passed the examinations to earn his A&P license, and launched a career in aviation maintenance.
Soon after, he met his wife Zully, and a few years later they welcomed two daughters, Sophie and Juliet. They raised their daughters in a vibrant, multilingual home where Spanish was spoken with family, Mandarin Chinese was mastered at the Denver Language School, and community involvement was paramount.
Cultivating Leadership with The Ambassador Foundation
When the sisters reached George Washington High School, they excelled in academics, sports, and the arts. However, it was their involvement with The Ambassador Foundation—a Denver-based 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to helping underrepresented, multilingual, and first-generation students get to and through college—that truly accelerated their paths toward leadership.
The foundation’s multi-layered approach to youth development perfectly matched each sister’s distinct goals:
- Sophie’s Professional Launchpad: As an upperclassman, Sophie was hired for an internship by The Ambassador Foundation. She later secured a second internship focused on the Peer Network with additional opportunities to work with Accounting. These opportunities provided real-world career training and professional networking, bridging the gap between academic theory and active career placement.
- Juliet’s High School Journey: As a rising Senior, Juliet participated in The Ambassador Foundation’s specialized curriculum for juniors and seniors. The program provided her with crucial college advising, application assistance, and leadership development, ensuring she could navigate the daunting transition to higher education with confidence.
The Horizon: CU Denver and Beyond
The seeds planted by their father’s early sacrifices and watered by community resources have yielded incredible results. Today, both sisters attend the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), utilizing the foundation’s peer networks and cohort support to excel in their chosen fields.
Sophie is currently in her third year studying Accounting, keeping her eyes firmly on the prize of becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Juliet is in her first year at the university, tracking toward a career as a Nurse Practitioner with a focus on women’s health.
For The Ambassador Foundation, Sophie and Juliet are a living testament to what happens when local organizations invest intentionally in Denver’s multicultural youth. By removing financial and institutional barriers, programs like these don’t just help individual students graduate—they empower entire families to soar.
Story and photos shared with permission.