Flover is the outgoing president of the AAPG Student Chapter at the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) in Bucaramanga, Colombia, and he was elected recently as the Education Liaison for the YP Colombia Chapter. While finishing his undergraduate studies at UIS, Flover is working as an intern at HOCOL in Bogotá, and he has been deeply involved with both student and young professional (YP) activities in the Latin America Region. Flover developed and piloted the Sister Chapter program for AAPG Student Chapters, and he is working with Region leadership to implement a Student Mentoring Program in Latin America. Flover is passionate about AAPG and about encouraging student members to stay involved with the Association after graduation.

Five years ago I began this adventure in the amazing world of geosciences. Since the first year, I tried to get involved in different kinds of geology-related events: technical weeks, short courses, field trips, and other activities. I thought this involvement could teach me things that my school could not, like differing points of view regarding the future of petroleum exploration, metalogeny, environmental development. It was great. I knew then that my future will be petroleum industry, thanks to my interest in sedimentary rocks and stratigraphy. (I was really bad in metamorphic or igneous classes!)

AAPG appeared in my life in 2010 thanks to an invitation from a good friend, Gabriel Mendoza, who was the UIS Student Chapter President at this time. He shared with me his experience and his passion to work for the people. During that year, I learned a lot of things about working with the chapter, about its values and principles and about AAPG. There was no doubt; I had found the way to be helpful and to do something good for other people, in this case, my classmates.

In December 2011, I received what I call the most valuable opportunity in my life – the chance to be the UIS student chapter president. The chapter’s executive committee gave me that tremendous gift because of my experience during the previous year, but I have to say that I was really lucky. Being President gave me the chance to learn about events, technical courses and management. Most importantly, I had the chance to work with a great team, with my best friends, that people who understood and shared my passion to do something great for our community. Thanks guys, you know I could not do it alone. This is the first lesson: finding a team, a good team, in any scenario, is the most important thing if you want to be successful and shine.

During 2012, we had the chance to meet a lot of people from other places, students, teachers, professionals from the industry and leaders. We ran a great event called I College Symposium of Petroleum Geology, Geophysics and Metalogeny, and more than 230 participants came to share their knowledge and technical skills. It was an amazing experience, and taught me my second lesson: If you have a dream, make it happen; you can do it! We wanted to organized an event with the highest technical quality, we did it. We wanted to bring different experts from all over the world, and we did it. We wanted to share our ideas about leadership and personal values, and we did it. What we learn? Management skills, networking relationships, leadership, values and principles, and the most important thing, team work and mutual trust.

During the second year—yes, I was the chapter president for two years—we found a problem. We were older, but we had not found or developed new leaders, young people who wanted to be involved in leadership roles. So we had to work really hard to bring people, to share our experience and to convince them that it was worth the effort. Soon our team got bigger and bigger, and new leaders began to appear. Finally we could take a breath and smile; our dream would not end when we left the chapter.

During 2012, I had the chance to go to Tulsa and participate in the Student Chapter Leadership Summit (SCLS.) It was amazing, an experience that changed my life. The SCLS gave me even more reasons to work, to do no something great, something wonderful! Finally, the IBA in Lima, Peru and ICE in Cartagena, Colombia served as the most valuable events for my development as geologist and as a person. IBA and ICE gave me invaluable networking, management skills, friends from all over the world, ideas and dreams. A lot of things came into my mind thanks to IBA and ICE. Now I am working to implement those ideas. The Sister Chapter Program was the first step. Thanks to all the leaders who helped me and shared ideas with me. Thanks to the girls from UNLP in Argentina, who helped turn the Sister Chapter concept into a reality. Now, we’re working to roll out the Student Leader Mentoring Program. We want to find and train the “Leaders of leaders.” I know this will be an amazing experience.

My time as a student chapter president has come to a close, but my AAPG experience has just begun. Why am I going to keep working with AAPG as a YP? For one reason: My work is not done. AAPG gives me the opportunity to keep learning, to keep meeting people, to keep growing as a person and a professional, all while enjoying every minute. I am committed to finding new challenges and new projects, and to helping others benefit in the same ways I have. My Final lesson to share is this: if you enjoy doing something—anything—you are in the right place. Stay there, and take advantage of the opportunity to serve others… and shine!

Thanks to AAPG leaders like Richard Ball, who shared his passion with me and showed me that even young leaders can make a global impact. Thanks to my friends for being with me and supporting my crazy ideas. Finally thanks to the AAPG Latin America Region Leaders, who have made it possible for students and YPs to be involved with AAPG and to take advantage of all that this amazing association has to offer.