Yo’onik Learning Center: Meet Susana

My name is Susana. I am 22 years old and I live in Zinacantan.

My father completed primary school and grew flowers to earn a living. My mother also only finished primary school and she is a housewife and sometimes helps my father with the flower crops. 

When I was a child, I always enjoyed school. I wanted to continue studying, but my parents couldn't cover all the school expenses. But I looked for a way to continue studying and also to be able to receive a scholarship from Yo'onik to help cover my expenses.

Well, those in charge of Yo'onik came to the high school and invited students to apply for a scholarship. The teachers decided that I could benefit from the scholarship and I have been a scholarship recipient for 10 years.

Now I am studying industrial engineering at the university, and my dream is to help Zinacantán with organic compounds for floriculture and agriculture because the agrochemicals are the cause of health problems in Zinacantán.

Belonging to Yo'onik is like having another family because we share our challenges and celebrate our achievements.

It gives me great pleasure to know that I can share the privileges of education and the opportunities to help my family and my community.

I feel it is important to honor our culture while applying the benefits of education.

After so many years at Yo'onik, I am very much apart of the internal evaluation and continuous learning processes, always motivated to benefit the next generations of scholarship recipients and primary school children who want to stay in school as long as they can.