Life Lessons Pay Off

Carlos grew up at Agua Viva and worked hard to graduate high school with his certification in graphic design. Like many Guatemalans, after graduation he discovered that finding a job that pays a sustainable wage was more difficult than he imagined. He grew frustrated after hearing from multiple companies that potential employees needed experience to be hired because it’s very difficult to gain experience without employment. Carlos quickly realized that he needed to modify his strategy. Since he had begun to learn English from the Americans who frequently visited Agua Viva School, he decided to pursue a certification in English.

English schools are expensive in Guatemala, so Carlos spoke with representatives from several schools before finally arranging with one to work for a smaller than usual salary in exchange for enrolling in the institution’s English classes. “For the first few years I barely got by. The lessons I learned at Agua Viva about working hard and having a good attitude really paid off,” he explained. After three years the institution promoted Carlos, allowing him to teach English to its youngest students. Two years after this initial breakthrough, he finally secured his dream job of working at a call center.

After that wonderful day, everything changed for Carlos. In addition to earning a good salary that allows him to support himself, he was able to save up and buy a motorcycle for transportation and even invested in a small business venture. Carlos recently moved back to Chimaltenango where he lives with his brother Oscar. He was excited to reconnect with friends from Agua Viva like Gama and Israel, who are encouraging him to get involved with a local church.

Carlos told us that it’s great to be financially stable and to be able to plan for the future. Eventually he would love to open his own English academy in a rural area so he can help others to have the same opportunity to learn English and to obtain a good job that he enjoyed. Like many of the other students who graduate from Agua Viva School, Carlos is mindful of ways to improve the lives of his fellow Guatemalans.

Supporters, thank you for helping Carlos to achieve his goals. Because of you, Agua Viva is able to continue to help our students obtain the tools they need to pursue their dreams. If you’re not currently a sponsor, please consider joining our team so that together we can make a lifelong difference in our students’ lives for the glory of God.