Q: What is your full name, where are you from, and the Masa program you took part in?
My name is Axel Angeles. I was born in Caracas, Venezuela and spent much of my youth in the United States. I received a master’s degree in Security and Diplomacy at Tel Aviv University through Masa.
Q: What was your life like before coming to Israel on Masa?
This is a great question. Before I did my Masa program, I had just graduated university and my mother passed away a month after from gallbladder cancer. Witnessing a parent pass away was very shocking for me but it encouraged my hunger for travelling and living life fully. I always knew I wanted to go to graduate school and I was interested in pursuing a career in diplomacy, so I felt like if the opportunity was there why not take it?! I applied for a Masa scholarship and grant and for the master’s program at Tel Aviv University and I was accepted! It was a turning point in my life and it allowed me to begin a new journey after such an impactful moment in my life. Next thing I knew I was in Israel.
Q: Why Israel?
I went to Israel when I was 14 years old for the first time and I loved the vibe, the culture, the people, and how it made me feel. I knew after that trip that I would live in Israel at some point in my life so it was always in my trajectory. After graduating college, I knew going back to Israel for an extended period of time was an important step in my education and for my future career. Israel has dealt with many diplomatic challenges and obstacles which make it a model country for studying conflicts and security issues.
Q: What was your program like, what made it different from studying in the USA?
I chose to get a master’s in Israel because I wanted to learn from the real experts. Tel Aviv University is known for its International school and it is close to the beach so it was an easy choice. Also, I didn’t want to pay an obnoxious amount of money and be forced to take out loans. Loans would hinder my financial future and since I had a loss in the family, I didn’t want to burden anyone.
At the same time, the Middle East is a lot more interesting than the USA when it comes to diplomacy. What made this specific program interesting were the people I studied with. At first, I thought it was going to be only Americans. I was definitely wrong, the program was made up of people from India, Mexico, Nigeria, Italy, Denmark, Canada, Russia, really from all over the world. This made the program much more interesting as I was able to hear and understand various perspectives when it comes to diplomacy and security.
Q: What was one of your favorite moments during your time studying here?
I have tons of favorite moments! Where do I start!?! I loved riding my bike around Tel Aviv, studying on the beach, taking art classes with the locals, making new friends from all over the world, becoming vegetarian, and eating amazing food. I can truly say the BEST part was that I was able to be myself, grow out my hair, and discover my passions.
Q: How do you think studying in Israel helped you on your journey to a meaningful career and future?
Studying in Israel opened my eyes to new passions and interests. I was there during one of the hardest times of my life so my whole perspective and outlook changed. Masa allowed me to create a new future and discover a new me. I knew I was creative and loved art of various forms. During my free time, I took art classes at Tel Aviv Art Studio with a South African woman. She taught me how to paint using different techniques. I also started dabbling in wedding videography and photography. I taught myself how to shoot and edit while I was in Israel and became confident in my abilities. I even created a promo video for my program!
After my program finished, I moved to Peru and enrolled in diplomacy school. It was nothing like studying in Tel Aviv and I ended up leaving the program after 2 months. I decided to choose a different path and pursue career in marketing with hopes of growing my video skills as well. Marketing and diplomacy sound like polar opposites, but they are actually quite similar. Marketing is about promoting and selling products- in diplomacy you promote ideas about a country. They are not exactly the same, but I am able to use my education and the skills I developed in Israel almost every day. How you ask? Well, I knew I wanted to be involved with Israel and helping others find themselves like I did so I started working for Masa Israel in New York.
Q: What are you up to now?
As I write this I’m on my Aliyah flight to Israel!!
After living in New York for the past 3 years and managing Masa Israel’s social media, I decided Israel was the best place to take my career to the next level. I want to continue to grow and develop as a person while producing content to bringing more participants on the life changing journey that is Masa.
My journey is still ‘in progress’ but for now, I’m here living my best life in Tel Aviv.
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