In just a few short years, Gaston Ocampo ’20 has gone from Buenos Aires to Roanoke to Lisbon, a journey spanning more than 8,500 miles — and he’s not done yet. He’s out to change the world.
“My role and that of our organization is to build bridges,” said Ocampo, an international relations and business administration graduate. “In the regions we serve, multifaceted challenges persist, creating ripples that transcend borders and influence our collective future.”
Ocampo, who grew up in Argentina, was writing from his offices in Portugal, where he serves as secretary general of IPDAL, an international nonprofit dedicated to strengthening ties between Portugal, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The work puts Ocampo at the center of a whirlwind portfolio of global concerns. For the Maroon who co-founded the International Club, led the Public Affairs Society and did undergrad research in Turkey and Tunisia, it’s nothing short of a dream gig.
"My journey to IPDAL is intricately woven with my experiences and teachings at Roanoke," Ocampo said. "I arrived as a freshman all the way from Buenos Aires and found a community where I could get guidance from esteemed professors, unwavering support from staff and camaraderie from my fellow students. That was the foundation for a profound understanding and appreciation of the importance of global interconnectedness."