By Don Krim 

 

Fourth in a series focusing on new applicant stories. Each of these students was one of the initial 557 who applied. None of these featured students has been selected, nor are these their real names, and sharing their story has no impact on their selection. These are machine-translated and excerpted with permission.

 

Student: Tania

 

Field of study: software engineering

 

“I live in a very small community, and I am 18 years old. I am a person with a lot of attitude, very optimistic and creative, with a lot of potential, and I want to work hard to achieve my dreams. My reason for continuing to study is to have a job that allows me to generate income for myself and my family, to contribute to my country. Many usually have the idea of ​​studying to leave the country, but my career is a base for the development of systems that streamline all kinds of processes, and working here would be a great support because Mexico needs more and more software developers. However, I also seek to scale internationally, wanting to contribute to the world and to my country. I like to take care of the environment and the animals. 

 

I am very proud of all the effort I have put into my studies, as they have given me opportunities such as representing my school in the Start-Up Mobility program that took me to Canada for a week (a state scholarship with all paid), experience that enriched my knowledge and changed my worldview…really the best experience of my life since I was able to observe a totally new culture and environment for me from which I could learn.

 

My dream is to go on an exchange to Quebec or France. For this, I am taking a French course that my university offers, to master the language. I am willing to sacrifice my time, since my career takes almost my entire days. Leaving home implies leaving my comfort zone and not seeing my family to study.

 

To be part of Jóvenes Adelante would be an honor for me. Leaving aside the monetary support, I know that they will enrich me with a lot of knowledge that will be the basis for my academic, personal, and professional training.”

 

It is too early to say whether Tania will be one of the final students selected. 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%.

 

Each student has a story and a dream. You can be a part of that story as a financial sponsor. JA never accepts a student until funds are committed, and we are now entering the most intense period of our selection process. To support a student, please contact donkrim@jovenesadelante.org or visit www.jovenesadelante.org.