The journey to high school and university graduation is one that is seldom completed by most children in Mexico. Although many try, a large majority will ultimately fail, due to the cost of attending, which most parents are simply unable to pay due to their economic circumstances. Less than 38% of adults in Riviera Maya have a high school diploma, and even less have a university degree.
KKIS currently has over 100 students in high school and university, who are supported by individuals, families and businesses, both small and large. Some are located here in the Rivieras Maya, while others are in cities in Canada and the United States. In this six part series, we’ll share the stories of 6 different KKIS scholars, who are in various stages of their journey to graduation. In Part One, we begin with Pedro Guadalupe.
We first got to know Pedro because of his grades, which were very good and consistent across all of his subjects. This is a requirement for all KKIS scholars, but what really got our attention was the letter he wrote as part of his application process. Pedro’s writing showed someone working far beyond his years, at a level that is uncommon for kids in their last year of elementary school. Now a university student at Technólogico University Playacar, he’s currently finishing a marketing degree, something which surprised many of us. But his writing remains his greatest talent, so it made sense for him to tell us about his journey himself.
This is Pedro’s story in his own words.
“I met KKIS when I was in my third year of high school, thanks to a visit they made to my school. At that moment they called me to a meeting with some colleagues, where they explained that we had been selected to participate in a scholarship program.
Our faces filled with joy imagining how wonderful it would be to have such support in high school. When I found out that I was finally a part of KKIS, I felt that all the years of effort were paying off. It was so evident in my emotion, to know that my effort was finally bearing fruit.
My parents and I had a talk about everything that KKIS was going to provide me with for proper academic development and they congratulated me. My parents were proud that a group like KKIS had noticed the efforts of their eldest son. What a great moment I had lived that afternoon, it was without a doubt something unforgettable.
My original plans were to finish a technical career in high school and then work and support my family financially. However, things did not look good in those days and it seemed less and less possible to achieve it. In high school I felt insecure, since I did not have many options to study. In the end I decided on tourism, and I guess it went well for me. In this career I understood the importance of being helpful and putting people who trust in your services first.
My Conalep teachers were properly trained to teach and they transmitted their knowledge well. I am glad to see that their passion for teaching meant that none of my classmates was left behind. Studying at Conalep was a great decision and thanks to the words of my teachers, I resumed the idea of studying for a university degree.
I went through an arduous process rethinking which study plan was best suited to my tastes and abilities, so I decided to list everything that caught my attention. It was curious to see how all my ideas revolved around handling multimedia. I’ve seen a few marketing conferences and at all of them I come to the conclusion that I know it’s for me.
In the short time that I have been attending university I have fallen in love with marketing. In 2019 I attended the premiere of “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood”, a film that introduced me to this wonderful world of film. After seeing this film I felt the need to investigate its director. I did not know at what point I got stuck with Tarantino’s trajectory and, furthermore, I did not understand why I had never seen any work by this great man in my life.
Thanks to that discovery I got to know the work of incredible directors like Martin Scorsese, Alejandro Iñárritu, Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson; thus relating to his way of directing and expressing his thoughts. I’m drawn to the way they write their scripts, it’s something I quite admire.
I would like to study cinema in the future, to write scripts and correctly express my ideas. I plan on working hard until I can direct audiovisual projects with a group of people who share the same love for cinema. In my opinion, I live in a country surrounded by stories that have not yet been told, so I would like to be the voice that narrates all those lost writings.
Now my great dream is to receive my university degree. Of course, I still have in mind the plan to support my family, it is the dream of every child. But the difference is that now it has been possible for me to extend my academic path, thanks to the support that this great team has given me. I am very excited to finish my degree, but I also know that it is important to enjoy the process. ¡No comamos ansias y llevémonos bien con el tiempo!
It is very likely that without the support of KKIS I would now be working instead of studying.The pandemic brought uncertainty to my family’s economy, so it would be difficult to pay for a university degree. It seems incredible to me that all the members of the KKIS family are really interested in our academic and professional development. After each conference, message, meeting, or council, we learn new things and feel more and more motivated.
There comes a point in the life of every student where you think it is easier to leave everything, however, in this family we have found the necessary support to move forward. Being part of this team has marked me forever, so much that I don’t even know how to explain what I feel.
I love KKIS, and I thank the universe for allowing me to find them.”
Pedro,
You expressed your story so wonderfully. Thank you for sharing. I saw a sign once in Mexico which said
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
To me that is you. Keep on reaching for those dreams