By Don Krim 

 

For the next few weeks, until Jóvenes Adelante (JA) has selected its new class of 2021 and found a sponsor for each new scholar, with the permission of student applicants, I will be sharing a slice of their lives. Each of these students was one of the initial 557 who applied, and one of only 127 who have proceeded to the next stage. None of these students has been selected, nor are these their real names. Nor does sharing their story have any impact on their selection.

 

“I’m Teresa!”

 

“I am 19 years old and I am studying my first semester of bachelor’s degree in administration. Some of the factors that influenced me in choosing the bachelor of administration were my taste for organization and business, as well as the advice of some high school teachers and my parents.

 

I want to study at university to have a more promising future and a broader field of work to have an economically stable life. In five years I see myself with my bachelor’s degree finished, perhaps starting a master’s degree and looking for a job. 

 

My engine to continue studying is without a doubt my family; in the future, I would like to reward them for all the efforts they are making for me, supporting me, and sacrificing some things to see me happy. If I ever need money, the one I turn to is my mother. My responsibility in turn is not to spend on things that are not necessary and to be honest with my parents, since apart from the expenses of my university, they dress and feed me.

 

Ask a friend if he could describe me in three words, and his response is: nice, personable, and energetic. I consider myself a responsible, empathetic, and sincere person. Something that I like a lot about myself is that I am very responsible because I like things to go well. I believe that I have a talent for organizing myself and earning people’s trust. My week is organized so that from Monday to Friday, I focus 100 percent on school. I try to do homework, projects, and anything pending from school during the week so I can have the weekends free.

 

If I am selected (by Jóvenes Adelante) I would support recreational activities that benefit the program so that it continues to grow, and other people will have the same opportunity as me.”

 

I cannot say whether Teresa will be one of the final students selected. What I hope is that whether or not she is selected, she continues to follow her dream of a higher education, against all odds. If she makes it with JA, her odds of making it through a full university career are over three times that of the average Mexican university student: 85 percent.

 

Next week we will share a piece of another story—and a window into the difficulty JA faces when selecting students.

 

To support a student, please contact donkrim@jovenesadelante.org or visit www.jovenesadelante.org.