The 4U! Colombia College Tour – 

On The Road Again

Rising like an Andean condor and coming up strong:

We are thrilled to announce the 4U Colombia College Tour!

Over the years we have successfully bridged the gap between universities and international schools in Colombia
and want to continue with the tradition of opening doors to the world. It’s a win-win situation whichever way you look at it – universities will be exposed to the most wonderful students and the richness of this country while the students will be amazed by the myriad of opportunities you can offer.

We have, therefore, designed this tour specifically for college and university admission counselors to visit high schools in Colombia under the leadership of Claudia Botero, Maria Clara Gutierrez and Juan Camilo Tamayo, ninety-five of experience collectively.

The 4U Colombia College Tour is designed specifically for college and university admission counselors to visit high schools in Colombia under the leadership of Claudia Botero, Maria Clara Gutierrez and Juan Camilo Tamayo, a trio of experience all in one.

Juan Camilo Tamayo, or Juank as he is affectionately known, is known as the pioneer of university tours, with Colombia, his home country, having been the start off point. He joined forces with Maria Clara Gutierrez to found and co-lead the famous Colombia Tour over twenty years ago. His mission to bring educational opportunities to the world led him beyond borders, by taking tours through Eurasia and Africa, as well as coordinating numerous college fairs around Europe, accompanying smaller groups around Central America and organizing local events in the Caribbean. Juank, unassuming and a passionate, charismatic leader, strongly believes in the power of working together to bring educational opportunities to students around the world. The word “no” is not in his vocabulary, and his mind is constantly thinking of new ways to reach out to students and universities. He has participated in numerous workshops dealing in higher education practices and has been the Training Regional Institute Coordinator in Asia and former VP of Foreign Relations for IACAC. He is currently on the Advisory Board of IE University in Madrid, Spain.

Maria Clara Gutierrez, or Mama Clara as she has come to be known on the Colombia Tour, has been working tirelessly for the past 48 years. Her passion and love for education began at Seisen International School in Tokyo, Japan, where she taught Spanish as a Second Language. Since then, it has been her life goal to help others obtain their maximum potential. Maria Clara worked in Bogota at Colegio Nueva Granada, as a teacher, Senior Class Advisor and coordinator of the Community Service Project – required of all students to graduate. In 1980, she moved to Medellin and started working at The Columbus School where she stayed 27 years. There, she was the academic, personal, vocational and emotional group and individual counselor for more than 300 students every year. In 2006, she left The Columbus School to start her private, independent counseling practice where she teamed up with Juank as local coordinator for the CIS Colombian Tour until 2019. Maria Clara participates actively in workshops and lectures dealing with Learning and Child Education, Communication, International Education, Stress Management, among others. We are excited to have Mama Clara join us this year as an important contributor to the JCT4U Colombia Tour!

Claudia Botero, or Tata, as her family, friends and students call her, is the latest addition to the JCT4Education team. Originally from Medellin, Tata is a proud TCK, having grown up in the USA, the Netherlands, Japan and England. Returning to Medellin, she found her passion for education, especially in the field of college counseling. Since 2008 she has extensively counseled students and their families, at different schools and independently, as they navigate the university admission process. Known to be the welcoming face of foreign universities visiting Colombia, Tata has opened her home to many international guests. Tata has served on the CIS Latin America and Caribbean Committees and the IACAC Governance and Nominating Committee and is currently finishing her term on the CIS Forum Planning Committee. She is a current member of the National Admissions Advisory Board at High Point University in North Carolina and a member of the Advisory Board at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York.