My name is Claudia. I was born in the village of Quisaché, Acatenango. I have eight siblings. With great effort, two of my siblings are studying in high school, although it is very difficult, so they both work and study. One of my sisters is studying middle school thanks to a scholarship. However, two of my siblings could no longer continue their studies due to lack of resources and now work because they have partners. My parents are very supportive, but everything is difficult due to the lack of resources. My father, Mauricio, is a day laborer and earns very little, but he always says that the most important thing is to make ends meet to be comfortable. My mother, Claudia, is a housewife and sometimes does odd jobs for neighbors to earn a little money and support my father. Despite our financial hardships, I am very happy because they both support us a lot.

My big dream is to be a nurse, so I can help my family and my community, because healthcare is very important and it is difficult to access here. First, I want to graduate from high school with a diploma in biological sciences, and then pursue a career at university. I really enjoy participating in school activities. My favorite class is Artistic Expression because it helps us express ourselves and gain confidence when speaking in public. In the mornings, I study and play with my friends at school. I also show them some of my drawings. In the afternoons, I help my mom with the housework because she works hard to make sure we have everything we need. That's why I admire her so much.

I would love the scholarship so I can achieve all my goals and not leave school or have to work and study at the same time. I've seen how my siblings sometimes despair about this, but my parents always encourage them to keep pursuing their dreams, and I want to achieve mine too.