In the summer of 2009, Emily spent a week volunteering at El Albergue, a shelter for abandoned youth in Chulucanas, Peru. There she met Víctor, a ten-year-old boy with an infectious smile, boundless energy, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. 

Throughout the week, Emily and Víctor spent a lot of time together. He helped her with her Spanish, she taught him English, and she answered his many questions about the United States. They took fun pictures, and in the afternoons, they went out for ice cream. 

On their last day, Emily asked Víctor what he wanted to be when he grew up. Unlike the students she had met in the United States, who dreamed of being police officers, astronauts, or actors, Víctor simply replied that he had no future. He was poor, and there was no point in dreaming about anything different for his adult life.

At the end of the summer, Emily returned to the United States. During the following months, she thought about Víctor often and felt frustrated because she knew he was right. Although she saw herself reflected in him, because he had been born into completely different circumstances, he had no future.

So, in 2010, Emily founded Victor's Vision in Chulucanas, Piura (Peru), an organization designed to provide supplementary education, scholarships, and support to underprivileged students so they can build a life plan and achieve a post-secondary future.