A Journey of Challenges, Hope, and Gratitude for a Jóvenes Adelante New Graduate

Published January 28th, 2022

Juan Pablo is a graduate of the University of Guanajuato. His words are edited for space limitations.

“When you [leave home] for college you are confronted with several factors of personal formation. No mother to prepare the delicious casseroles; no siblings to bother; the days of helping dad are fewer and fewer. These moments are sacrificed with the sole purpose of following your greatest desires.«

“Once you arrive at your destination, you unpack and place your belongings on the cot, you lie down on it, and there begins the first battle; now you have grown up and the responsibilities are becoming vaster and vaster. You reflect you have left your place of origin, family, friends, and love. Once you accept your destiny, you go to the kitchen and prepare dinner, with the first thing you find—a piece of bread with jam and a glass of milk. The first challenge begins here, thinking about the preparation of the next day’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You are moderately sure of the cooking knowledge you have from mom’s last-minute classes.

That’s how the daily challenges gradually presented themselves, all during the classes, in the immense sleepless nights where time was deceptive, dawning without you realizing it. Challenges arose when studying a language and when rushing from one side of the city to the other like crazy because of tight schedules. Some of the most adverse challenges were the arduous finals, studying for difficult exams, doing projects from start to finish to deliver, all while trying to feed yourself. However, there are no more infallible tools than perseverance, patience, and constancy to face those hard battles.

Little by little I approached the end of my journey, my convictions became more solid, the battles lighter, allowing me to reach the summit with satisfaction. Beyond academics, these tools generated confidence and human values—qualities I may not have developed, or not for a long time.

The economic support provided by you [my Jóvenes Adelante sponsors,] was for me of great symbolic value—of those that have glimpsed in me great aspirational feelings of empathy and otherness—and thus rekindling the flame of hope in the face of a fragmented country. This philanthropic act brings peace and hope to humanity as the impact produced is immense, in evidence today as we celebrate my conclusion of professional studies.

I can only thank you for your support. You were one of the indispensable cornerstones to materialize my dreams of becoming an architect. The gratitude will not only be marked in this letter but … engraved in the firmament … for the sublime act you did for me.

Now, I can contribute my knowledge to realize sublime acts for social and human improvement, within my surrounding environment, this being the main cause of my existence whose great purchasing power are values that build me and provide welfare, beyond material goods.”You too can be part of a university student’s journey. To discuss sponsorship, please contact donkrim@adminjovenesadelante.org