When Persistence Meets Optimism: Yamilet del Carmen

At this year’s Alumni Reception event, Community College of Philadelphia welcomed 2002 graduate, Yamilet del Carmen, back to campus as a guest speaker to share some of her incredible experiences since graduating from the College. Yamilet has always seen education as the key to progress on both an individual and global level, which is what’s led her to build the Del Carmen Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at helping disadvantaged youth gain access to education in Venezuela and the United States, the two places Yamilet considers her own. And this year, she’s working with the CCP Foundation to establish a scholarship program for CCP students.

Yamilet is originally from Venezuela and came to the United States in 1999 to continue her education. “My parents had very few resources, but through dignified and honest work, they were able to give me the valuable opportunity to study,” Yamilet said. She explored various colleges and universities before finding her way to CCP. “For me, CCP was my second home here,” Yamilet said. “I never felt different or segregated, only supported and included.”

She quickly became involved on campus, serving as a Student Ambassador, Spanish tutor, chair of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Scholarship Committee and secretary of the International Students Association. Yamilet was also part of the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team of Phi Theta Kappa, which secured her a scholarship. After graduating from West Chester with a bachelor's degree in Business, Yamilet and her husband opened a restaurant together. Impacted by her time at CCP, she was committed to maintaining a strong relationship with the College. This connection led her to hire fellow CCP alums as waitstaff and kitchen employees.

Yamilet has carried on this tradition of connection with CCP and bringing her trusted community members into the fold. A CCP professor that was particularly impactful for Yamilet, Dr. Francie Woodford, now serves as the Del Carmen Foundation’s director of Education. “She encouraged me to be involved in many activities,” Yamilet said. This involvement at CCP is what Yamilet sees as the building blocks for her passions and successes over the years.

In 2022, Yamilet decided to turn her focus to uplifting her communities and give her own life a stronger sense of purpose. This is how the Del Carmen Foundation was born. Yamilet states, “I said ‘I want to have a life with purpose, something that makes me happy.’ Through all my years, I helped here and there. But I wanted to have something more a formal.”

Since 2022, the Del Carmen Foundation has helped thousands of children in Venezuela. “We have helped nearly 4,000 children. We collect backpacks, food supplies, sports equipment, etc.,” Yamilet said. Additionally, when the foundation expanded its mission to include support for Philadelphians too, they were able to award six local students with scholarship support. And this year, they are aiming even higher.

“This year, we are going to support 12 students in Philadelphia, two of whom are going to be right here from CCP,” Yamilet said about the expanded efforts. “All of this will be possible thanks to our next fundraiser that will be in mid-September. We are going to do Zumba for Education!”

CCP is proud to remain connected to Yamilet and work with her to help change the lives of students right here on our campus, in addition to those she serves in Venezuela. It is clear that Yamilet lives her life with her dreams in focus, where she can give back to the communities that brought her to where she is today. “CCP provided the positive environment and support to pursue [my] dreams and to continue looking to the future,” Yamilet said. “Together, we can build a future full of hope, action, and success with persistence and optimism.”

You can learn more about the Del Carmen Foundation here.