By Don Krim
This is the second in a series focusing on new student applicant stories. Our intake was extraordinary this year. Each of these students was one of the initial 557 who applied, 237 invited to submit full applications, and one of only 127 who has proceeded to the next stage. None of these students has been selected; these are not their real names. Nor does sharing their story have any impact on their selection. These are machine translated and excerpted with permission.
“I’m Isabella! As long as you keep your eyes on your goals, there will be no obstacles to stop you. I am 19 years old. I live in [an outer community] of San Miguel de Allende.
“To begin my story, I want you to know my origins. I live in a family of seven, including myself, my father, my mother, two sisters, and two brothers. My family is a great engine that inspires me to continue forward; but above all, my admiration and respect are for my parents. They inspire me to want to be a better person. I have always seen how much they strive to achieve what they set out to do despite thousands of obstacles, and they have always done everything to accomplish what they want.
“I am responsible because I always recognize my mistakes and my victories, and I assume the good or bad consequences by always doing my best to give my best. I am kind because it is simple: treat others how you want to be treated, and I am hardworking because I always have something to do to achieve what I propose. I am a very strong person. Despite problems, I always try to show my strength to get out of them and to get up.
“My dream is to be a mechanical engineer. It will make an extremely interesting career, and I want to get a good job and help my parents with their expenses since they have gone out of their way to help us fulfill our dream. They always say, and I believe, that study prepares us to have a better quality of life, and since they did not have the opportunity, they want us to study.”
It is too early to say whether Isabella will be one of the final students selected. Regardless, JA wishes her the best in pursuing her goals and dreams via higher education. If she becomes a Jóvenes Adelante Scholar, 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, there will be another story to share and a window into the difficult choices JA faces as it gets to know more about each student and ultimately needs to choose.
To support a student, please contact donkrim@jovenesadelante.org or visit www.jovenesadelante.org.