Sergio: Beyond Graduation
For years, the goal was simple: graduate. Today, when Sergio talks about the future, the conversation is different. He talks about finishing his bachelor’s degree, starting a master’s program, and continuing to grow within the audit firm where he works.
As a child, his aspirations were simpler. He grew up in Patzún, Chimaltenango, in a family with limited resources, where every contribution mattered. On weekends, he helped one of his aunts sell pork at the local market and delivered bananas to earn extra money. Between work, school, and homework, he began to imagine a different life.
He dreamed of graduating. He dreamed of becoming a professional.
“I’ve always had that drive to improve myself,” he recalls.
Along the way, one opportunity proved to be life-changing. Sergio was selected to receive a scholarship through Cooperative for Education (CoEd)’s Rise Youth Development and Scholarship Program, which supports young people facing challenging circumstances so they can complete secondary school. Today, the program maintains a 95% annual retention rate, and eight out of every ten scholarship recipients graduate from high school.
“I felt like I had been given a thousand opportunities to achieve my goals.”
For Sergio, the scholarship meant the chance to continue studying at a time when doing so was far from guaranteed.
“Without that scholarship, I would not have been able to continue my education,” he says.
Sergio practicing a mock job interview
Sergio working on a Rise social project
Sergio collaborating with other Rise students
In time came graduation. Then university. Later, a career. It was along that path that he found his place in auditing.
“Many of the things I’ve achieved have come through auditing,” he says. The profession has allowed him to gain experience, travel throughout Guatemala, and even visit other countries.
Yet the most important change did not happen in a classroom or an office. It happened when he had to leave behind the familiarity of his community and find his place in unfamiliar environments.
“I think the biggest challenge was making that leap.”
University, the city, and the professional world brought new expectations. Adjusting took time. When he reflects on what helped him navigate that transition, he returns once again to education.
“Above all, knowledge. The opportunity to study.”
Sergio’s story began much like that of many young Guatemalans who face barriers to continuing their education. Years ago, graduation was the goal. Today, it serves as a point of reference from which he looks ahead.
The horizon has changed.
