Good morning, to everybody, today I want to tell you something about how my life has been, and the achievements I have had in my student life, also as a son of a great family.
Well, my name is Salomon Ajiquichí Pecher, I come from Sololá Guatemala, I live in a village called Chuimanzana, I am 18 years old, I am the youngest member of my family, and now I am a student of the University of the Valley of Guatemala.
My family have been the most important in my life, I do my best efforts for them. My father works as a tailor and my mother works at home and they support me in my education.
My life as a child was difficult, as my family did not have enough economic resources I had to study in the morning and work in the afternoon collecting firewood in the field, because I wanted to cooperate with the household expenses.
My parents saw the achievements that I was obtaining in elementary and secondary school, so they looked for more opportunities in order to improve my academic formation.
These opportunities were programs without any pay, between the ones, that I can mention is Access program. This program consists in learn English and has been executed at University of the Valley of Guatemala in Campus Altiplano with the support of U.S.A.I.D.
In Access program, I had the opportunity to meet people with a positive ideology, who were part of my development as a person, and I could not have achieved my goals without their help and also helped me to have a better performance in different activities.
When, I graduated from Access program my family were happy and proud of me because I had accomplished one of my objectives.
UVG offer scholarships for students who have a good academic level, so I have the opportunity to study high school in UVG.
The majority of my relatives see me as an example to follow, because they want to have the opportunities that I have had. I just tell them, if they want, they can get it.
Now I am studying Agroforestry, because most of the people in my community are engaged in agriculture and in corn harvests. Moreover, because nowadays nobody handles the forest resources in the best way.
Besides in college, there are chances of getting scholarships, I was able to win once again. By the time, this scholarship with the support of Fundación Educación has helped me in tuition and enrollment in UVG.
This makes things possible and easier. The scholarships have helped me to keep studying.
Now my parents do not have to worry so much for our economic situation.
My career included two areas, agricultural and forest area. I have learned ways to care for, protect our soil, crops, harvests and forests.
My experience as a student at the university has been incredible, because through activities and my first internship, I could work closer with people. I could apply the things that I had learned in class and practice my abilities.
One of the most challenging thing in my life has been money, but this has not been an obstacle for me, because my family and I have been looking for scholarships, programs, and ways to continue studying and I know I will continue taking advantage of opportunities to be successful in my life.
