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Santiago Tijerina


Summary


Award-winning documentary filmmaker and development professional with experience leading youth-centered initiatives in international non-profit contexts; focused on place-based philanthropy and shedding light on the human stories behind global issues.






Education





The Fletcher School, Tufts University


Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy Candidate

  • Human Security & Conflict Resolution
  • Managing NGOs & Social Enterprises; Children in Conflict & Crises





Salt Institute for Documentary Studies


Graduate Certificate in Documentary Studies (Short Film)

  • Emerging Maine Filmmaker Award at Maine Outdoor Film Festival
  • Capstone: Courts of Belonging





University of Maine


Bachelor of Arts (Highest Honors) in International Affairs; Minor in French; summa cum laude

  • Phi Beta Kappa; Fulbright Canada Killam Fellow; CUGR Fellow & Symposium First Prize; Honors College Service Award
  • Thesis: Climate Action at University of Maine






Experience


The Children’s Initiative 501(c)(3)


Program Director

  • Directed NGO operations expanding access to education in rural Honduras; focused on providing programs (e.g. soccer) that doubled enrollment from 60 to 120, improved retention, and attracted students from dozens of other villages to a magnet school.
  • Managed cross-cultural/sectoral relationships to accelerate NGO mission and activate ancillary programs—food/water security, reforestation, smallholder farming—empowering local leadership and translating donor priorities into measurable outcomes.
  • Secured $60K+ annually through personalized donor stewardship, targeted communications, and website redevelopment.


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