Felipe Henao Llaña: Following Family and Finding Purpose

MEET Felipe Henao Llaña ‘26
CURRENT MAJOR: Bachelor of Science in Economics ‘26

Answered prayers – a little brother

Despite a seven-year age difference, Felipe Henao Llaña and his sister Juana were always close. Afterall, she’d only been praying most of her life for a little brother.

As a young boy, Felipe wanted to do everything his big sister did. She played soccer. He played soccer. She attended camp. He attended camp.

However, that came to an end when she wanted to move to the U.S. for college sports. He couldn’t fathom the idea of leaving his native Colombia.

Sibling attachment runs deep, so it’s easy to understand why he was devastated when his sister arrived back from a Washington, DC soccer vacation and announced her plans to pursue a college education in the states. Felipe was faced with a difficult separation. He wanted the best for his sister, but his love for familiarity and country prevailed, and he decided to remain in his native Colombia.

Arriving in the states

Felipe said, “I remember it was hard for me, because we were always super close. I never really saw myself in the U.S., but when I flew over for my sister’s wedding, we also visited Goldey-Beacom College.” That was in 2020, and everything else just fell into place. He soon realized that he could remain in touch with their parents and other siblings while following in his sister’s footsteps to achieve a college degree in the U.S. as well as join a sports team.

A scholarship paved the way

With the College’s rolling admissions process, he didn’t have to wait long. As a sibling, he earned a Legacy Scholarship as well as a Joseph West Jones Scholarship. And just like his sister, his enrollment into Goldey-Beacom wouldn’t have been possible without those scholarships.

“At first, it was a bit hard for me,” Llaña began to say. “I was the only international student on the Cross Country Team. Everyone else was from the U.S., but I was able to become friends with so many cool people. There’s no difference between cultures as in how we think and get things done. Everyone on the team, from the coach to my teammates, has been super supportive. For me, Goldey-Beacom has been better than I ever dreamed of.”

Choosing a major

Choosing a major comes easy for some students. Llaña was no exception as he arrived having been greatly influenced by his grandfather’s passion for economics. “One day I was reading a book on economics by Paul A. Samuelson that had belonged to my grandfather,” he said. “He wanted to be an economist, but he never graduated from high school. I started reading the book, and I loved it.” Reading that book many years ago made Llaña’s academic major an easy choice, and in 2026, he’ll graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.

Mentors

His grandfather hasn’t been the only influence in his life. For any student who is thinking about a degree in economics, Llaña is ready to share his thoughts.

“If you said you wanted a degree in economics, I would say there’s not a better degree you could have chosen at Goldey-Beacom,” he said. “Why? Because you’ll have Dr. Kirk Johnson as a professor. Even my electives were economics classes. I believe the smallest class I’ve had was seven students – but look at all the attention you get! They’re tough classes. You need to pay attention, but Dr. Johnson explains everything in such a way that even a child could understand it.”

These days, Llaña works in the GBC business office where he interacts with human resources, finance, career services and athletics.

Felipe feels at home with other international students

Coming to the U.S. wasn’t without a few surprises. “The number of international students was surprising,” said Llaña. “For example, I would be in the Fitness Center, and I could hear people speaking different languages. And people who spoke the same language were becoming close friends. It was comforting.”

Both Juana and Felipe were surprised at how easy it was to complete what would be the most complicated tasks in Bogota. From visiting government offices, getting a driver’s license and even a trip from the Philadelphia Airport.

In fact, when asked to describe why Bogota is difficult to maneuver, Juana and Felipe asked, “Have you ever been to New York City during rush hour?” They claim it’s absolutely the best comparison to Bogota saying it’s just a bigger version of New York City. And compared to the Bogota Airport, they say the Philadelphia International Airport is a walk in the park.

Juana and Felipe offered heartfelt advice to potential students.

“Since it’s a smaller college, it’s an opportunity to get to know everyone. It’s easier to be known among others, and everyone is so friendly. We’ve been able to talk to a lot of professors even if we didn’t have classes with them. It makes your college experience a lot better when you feel that you’re welcomed. We just feel like coming here is the best thing that could have happened to us.”

This article was previously featured in The Goldey-Beacom College Magazine