Jóvenes Adelante’s New Class 2023 Bright Stories: Angelita

At Jovenes Adelante we have limited funds and limited spaces and tend to look for students who  are clearly focused, who will just “go and hit the target.” So a career “discovered almost by accident” was not what a reviewer from Jóvenes Adelante normally wishes to read. But as I kept reading, something stood out as special, and it all became clear:

…Doing an assignment for the career I was studying before (ethnology), because I found that restoration is multidisciplinary…, what I like the most. Anthropological topics are one of my favorites and it was because of the professors there that made me more interested.”

Finding and embracing a unique career choice at one of the most prestigious universities in Mexico, Angelita was immediately getting my attention. Her university is the Western School Of Conservation And Restoration in Guadalajara, and Angelita is from Celaya but has lived her whole life in Empalme Escobedo a community of Comonfort not too far away.

As one can see in the photos, Angelita is vivacious, animated, and confident.

“I am a tenacious and passionate person, I really like meeting new people and places, I am open to change and the challenges that these entail and with the Jóvenes Adelante scholarship, it would help me a lot to achieve my goals, I want to be an example that regardless of the problems or wherever you come from, your goals can be achieved.”

When I interviewed Angelita and her mother, it was easy to see where Angelita gets her strength. Because Angelita is already in Guadalajara, of course they were on separate video call screens.
Angelita is one of JA’s exceptions to the first generation student profile this year, as her mother is a single parent who works for local government.

“With my mother I would say that we have a similar character, so we get to have the most interesting conversations and even more so when we don’t agree on a topic, which is when we have come closest to getting angry, but it doesn’t go beyond a phone call. Since I was a child I know that I want to be like her and not because of her achievements or way of life (which I admire a lot about her), but it is more because of the way in which she manages to face things and continue. I know that she will always be with me to support me in my decisions.”

Angelita shows her brilliance quickly. She is sharp, expressive and articulate, and has a GPA above 9 at this elite school. She knows that her mother has access to a school loan to help her, but she prefers to support herself as much as she can. She remarks that even if she were not selected by Jóvenes Adelante, she would still welcome the chance to help JA students in any she could.

The photos she submitted with her application show her in lab coats, on a scaffold restoring a giant mural. I could immediately imagine the perfect mentor for her – a career artist and sculptor, Sergio Peraza.

His first report shows JA students always face challenges:

“Angelita is very happy and enthusiastic about her career. She is going to start this semester a subject called easel painting.”

And so our new JA students make their way into the next stage. Those like Angelita studying far from home always have large adjustments. JA’s financial and psychological support through our guidance counselor is always there to step in as needed.

Inside JA, our new students are off the ground and we are gearing up for the 2024 selection process. There is always deep reflection and evaluation of our intake process each year, and this fall is no exception. The 2023 process saw an expansion to neighboring SMA cities and our largest selection ever (40) from our largest pool of initial applicants, over 600. Our current roster of active students is 132.

Now is a great time to being thinking about being part of Jóvenes Adelante. Each student for next year will need a financial sponsor and a supportive mentor, and our English tutoring program continues to expand and always needs EFL tutors at different levels.

By Don Krim.

Don Krim can be reached at donkrim@jovenesadelante.org

and more information about how to be part of these students’ lives is available: (CLICK HERE)