My name is Evelyn Marina, a young Kaqchikel Maya woman who first saw the light of day on May 4, 2002, in the beautiful municipality of Chimaltenango. I am 22 years old and the fifth of seven children in my family.
My journey of growth and development has brought me to the final semester of my Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism at the prestigious Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, specifically at the Altiplano Campus in Sololá.
For me, university represents a dream come true. Despite the challenges and sacrifices it entails, I face them with courage and determination. Over the years, I have maintained my commitment not only in the academic field but also in extracurricular activities and the working world.
My participation in work and extracurricular activities has enriched me even further. In 2021, I was selected as a Fellow for the ‘Voices That Inspire’ program by Vital Voices and P&G, which gave me the opportunity to meet other inspiring young women from Latin America. Later, in 2022, through the same program, I obtained a grant for my educational reinforcement project aimed at children and young people in my community in response to the decline in educational quality during the pandemic.
Moreover, I serve as the president of the Women’s Association K’o Samuj Junan, where I lead projects that benefit my community, particularly sustainable tourism projects like Ecoturismo Pachun and AJMAQ, a project that sells crafts made from dried pine leaves.
My main motivation is to acquire new skills and knowledge and then apply them in my community and areas of influence. For example, in April 2023, I was one of four students selected from the three campuses for an exchange to MIT to explore the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This experience filled me with energy and possibilities, pushing me to organize events such as internal networking for students and staff on campus to foster partnerships that lead to multidisciplinary projects.
University has allowed me to become part of new groups, such as ENACTUS, a global organization that seeks to motivate youth to make change through social entrepreneurship.
I have been a part of ENACTUS UVG Altiplano since late 2021. In 2023, the team earned the title of national champions, which allowed us to represent Guatemala in Utrecht, Netherlands, in October 2023, and we ranked in the TOP 16, a feat that hadn’t happened since 2018. This enriching experience allowed us to compete with talented students from around the world and explore a bit more of the world.
But that’s not all. This year, thanks to the efforts of the entire team, we achieved the national championship again. This time, the challenge was even greater, as we had to represent Guatemala in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 1 to 4. Without a doubt, we gained new insights to continue improving, but we are proud to have given our best to represent Guatemala.
I firmly believe in the importance of education as a driver of development, and thanks to the financial support provided by the university, I have had access to these opportunities that impact my family, my community, and my country. This brings me closer to my personal goal of ‘working to contribute to the development of current and future generations.’