Salvador Gómez-Colón Explained

Salvador Gabriel Gómez-Colón
Birth Place:	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Nationality:	Puerto Rican
Occupation:	Activist
Known For:	Humanitarian work
Education:	Saint John's School Phillips Academy Yale University
Awards:	Time's 30 Most Influential Teens of 2017 President's Environmental Youth Award Diana Award (2019) Straubel Foundation Impact Leader Award

Salvador Gabriel Gómez-Colón (pronounced as /es-419/; born 2002) is a youth activist from Puerto Rico. In 2017, Gómez-Colón founded the humanitarian initiative Light and Hope for Puerto Rico in response to Hurricane Maria. He is also the author of Hurricane: My Story of Resilience.^[1]

Early life

Gómez-Colón was born in 2002. He was raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and attended Saint John's School until 2018 and left to Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.^[2] During his senior year, he served as one of the student body co-presidents.^[3]

Hurricane Maria

See also: Hurricane Maria. After the hurricane in September 2017, Gómez-Colón launched a crowd funding campaign called "Light and Hope for Puerto Rico."^{[2] [4]} Starting in November 2017, he raised funds and delivered solar lamps and hand-operated washing machines to the affected communities through his campaign.^{[5] [6]} The campaign raised over $170,000 and distributed 4,100 lamps to over 3,500 households across the island.^[7]

Davos 2020

In January 2020, Gómez-Colón attended the annual meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He spoke along with Greta Thunberg, Natasha Mwansa, and Autumn Peltier on a panel named Forging a Sustainable Path to a Common Future.^{[8] [9]} Gómez-Colón was named one of the inaugural teenage change-makers at the annual meeting.^[10]

In popular culture

Gómez-Colón is featured on Marvel's Hero Project, in the episode "Superior Salvador" of Season 1.^{[11] [12]}

Honors and awards

Gómez-Colón was named one of "The 30 Most Influential Teens of 2017" by Time magazine.^[13] In 2019, Gómez-Colón received the Diana Award for his humanitarian work.^[14]

Publications

Gómez-Colón has published opinion editorials for various media, including Time magazine, The Independent, and CNN Business.^{[15] [16] [17]} His book Hurricane: My Story of Resilience was published by Norton Young Readers in October 2021.^[18]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Hurricane. 2021-07-14. wwnorton.com. en.
2. Web site: 15-year-old boy in San Juan raising funds for solar lamps. Parija Kavilanz. CNN Business. Sep 30, 2017. Feb 19, 2021. en.
3. Web site: Megan Cui '21 and Salvador Gómez-Colón '21 Elected Student Body Co-Presidents. The Phillipian. Laura Ospina. en. April 13, 2020. Feb 19, 2021.
4. Web site: Ninth grader raises funds for Puerto Rico. CNN Business. en. 21 November 2018. Feb 19, 2021.
5. Web site: Teen delivers hundreds of solar lamps to Puerto Ricans without power. Parija Kavilanz. CNN Business. Feb 3, 2018. Feb 19, 2021.
6. Web site: This 15-Year-Old Is Bringing Light to One of Puerto Rico's Poorest Communities. Global Citizen. Oct 24, 2017. Phineas Ruckert. en. Feb 19, 2020.
7. Web site: 2019-09-20. Student Council Launches Hurricane Dorian Relief Initiative for the Bahamas. 2021-07-13. The Phillipian.
8. Web site: Gómez-Colón '21 featured at World Economic Forum. Phillips Academy. Feb 4, 2020. Feb 19, 2020. en. Nancy Hitchhock.
9. Web site: World Economic Forum: Four young activists address world leaders at Davos. British Broadcasting Company. en. Jan 21, 2020. Feb 19, 2021.
10. Web site: Meet the teenage change-makers making waves at Davos 2020. World Economic Forum. Dara Lee and Gill Cassar. Jan 19, 2020. Feb 19, 2021.
11. Web site: 'Marvel's Hero Project' Recap: Superior Salvador. Marvel Entertainment. Feb 25, 2020. Feb 19, 2021. en. Jamie Frevele.
12. Web site: MARVEL'S HERO PROJECT SEASON 1: SUPERIOR SALVADOR. Feb 19, 2021. en. Marvel HQ.
13. Web site: The 30 Most Influential Teens of 2017. Time Staff. Time. Nov 2, 2017. en.
14. Web site: Record Number of Americans Honored by Charity That Carries Princess Diana's Name on Her Birthday. Simon Perry. People. July 1, 2019. Feb 19, 2021. en.
15. We Need Empathy in Times of Crisis. But That Doesn't Just Mean Feeling for Others. 2021-07-13. Time. en.
16. Web site: 2020-07-17. Opinion: A hurricane changed my life. It taught me how young people can help solve climate change. 2021-07-13. The Independent. en.
17. Web site: Perspectives. Salvador Gomez Colon for CNN Business. Perspectives: I'm growing up in Hurricane Maria's aftermath. Here's what the world can learn from youth resilience. 2021-07-13. CNN. 22 November 2018 .
18. Web site: Hurricane: My Story of Resilience. en. Feb 20, 2021. W. W. Norton & Company.