9 years old

Edgar

One unique thing about Edgar is that he is deaf. However, this does not keep him from being his joyous and energetic self. Edgar has to travel double the distance to a special school and puts in extra work to learn American Sign Language. Furthermore, he has also inspired his entire family to learn ASL. Still, Edgar represents the goodness of human nature through his hospitality and radiant smile. 

16 years old

Manuel

During COVID, Manuel faced adversity due to his lack of cell service for his Zoom classes. Manuel found himself sitting in a tree all day just to attend class. Just like many boys his age, Manuel enjoys doing everything with his friends. Soccer is always a must-do whenever free time is available. Manuel is a symbol of perseverance which is why he has the ability to break his community out of poverty in the future. 

16 years old

Carolina

A stunning quality of Carolina is her natural affinity to dance. On top of dancing, she plays on her school's softball team. However, it is hard for her to make free time for the things that she loves, as she is determined to help her family make ends meet, which is by making hammocks. Above all, Carolina puts her family and community first and has the heart to break the cycle of generational poverty if given the resources.

15 years old

Gloria (on right)

Gloria struggled all throughout COVID, like most of the other students, to even get internet connection to join her Zoom classes. Even after her online classes ended, she faced the challenge of having to walk four miles to school every morning. Similar to Carolina, she loves to dance and is an extremely kind soul. Furthermore, she inherits the hard-working mindset of her mother (on left) that could be used to build a brighter future for her community if given the resources.