A future of care

At just 19 years old, Yorgelis has already had a journey with challenges that have required her to grow up quickly.

She left her home country of Venezuela with her family in search of a better life, joining relatives in Colombia while leaving other family behind. She became a mother at 16.

Today, she spends hours traveling to and from school as she works toward a career in nursing.

But Yorgelis doesn’t see her circumstances as reasons to give up. She sees them as reasons to keep going.

“I believe 100% in myself,” she said.

Yorgelis is studying to become a nursing assistant in Cali, Colombia, with support from the Unbound Scholarship Program. Her long-term dream is to continue her education and one day become a chief nurse.

For Yorgelis, education represents more than fulfilling qualifications for a career.

It’s a way to build a better future for herself, her family and her 3-year-old son, Ángel Matías.

Starting over in a new country

When Yorgelis was about 13, her family decided to leave Venezuela because of the political and economic challenges there.

Her mother traveled to Colombia first, hoping to establish a new life and find opportunities for the rest of the family. Eventually, Yorgelis and other members of her immediate family followed.

The journey took three days by bus.

Leaving their country meant leaving behind family members, familiar traditions and the life they had known.

“Part of our family is still in Venezuela, and I think that is the most difficult, the hardest thing we have faced,” Yorgelis said.

The family eventually settled in a rural area near Cali. Life in Colombia brought new opportunities, but it also meant starting over.

Yorgelis' father works as a farm guardian (caretaker of a farm) and takes on other jobs when available, while her mother works at a store in the area.

For Yorgelis, getting an education presented another challenge: distance.

She lives in a rural, mountainous area and travels an average of one to two hours each way to attend school in the city. The journey requires her to wake up early, wait for transportation and manage the additional costs of commuting.

Still, she continues to make the trip.

A young mother with a dream

Becoming a mother at 16 brought responsibilities Yorgelis had not expected to face so soon. But rather than putting aside her dreams, motherhood gave her another reason to pursue them.

She wants to create opportunities for her son and lead by example.

“I dream of giving my son his education,” she said. “This is essential.”

But her hopes for him go beyond school.

She wants him to grow into “a good man, a good father, brother and son,” she said, and to know that his mother will always be there for him.

Yorgelis also has dreams of her own.

“My dreams are to be a chief of nursing, to continue training and to give myself a better life,” she said.

For Yorgelis, a better life is not defined by money alone.

“It is not to give me a better life economically,” she said, “but in health, because human beings depend on health.”

Her interest in health care is what led her to pursue technical nursing studies in Cali.

In 2023, she joined the Unbound Scholarship Program, which helped her begin her studies as a nursing assistant.

The opportunity allowed her to focus on a career she had long been interested in while, with the support of her parents, continuing to care for her family.

“I'm grateful to Unbound,” she said. “Without them, I couldn't be where I am.”

Learning to care for others

Yorgelis' education does not end when she leaves the classroom.

As part of her participation in the scholarship program, she gives back through community service, including activities with older adults sponsored through Unbound.

She shares health information, helps with blood pressure checks and participates in activities designed to support older adults' well-being.

The experience allows Yorgelis to put what she is learning into practice while developing her skills and confidence.

Her activities include encouraging exercise and healthy habits, helping with crafts and talking with older adults about ways they can care for their health.

But Yorgelis doesn’t approach the work as simply something she is required to do to keep her scholarship.

She listens to the people she serves.

“I ask them [the elders] if that strengthens them and if they want to [do it],” she said. “I always have their consent.”

The trust community members place in her has also strengthened her commitment to nursing.

“[Volunteering with the elders] helps me a lot in my career,” Yorgelis said. “It strengthens me because they [have] confidence in me to give the best for them.”

The experience has shown Yorgelis that education can create a cycle of opportunity.

As she learns, she can share what she knows. And as she serves others, she gains the experience and confidence to continue pursuing her goals.

Looking toward the future

Yorgelis knows there may still be challenges ahead.

She worries about the uncertainty many young people face when searching for work after graduation. As a woman, she has also experienced concerns about safety and the lack of opportunities available to women.

But she remains focused on what she can do today to prepare for tomorrow.

She describes herself as a young mother who is determined to stay focused on her education and believes in her ability to build a better future.

When she imagines where she will be in 10 years, she sees a happy family and a life where she can give back to the people who have supported her.

She wants to “give back what I once received from my parents as a little girl,” she said. “Supporting them 100% and giving a better example to my son.”

Her path forward will continue to require determination.

But Yorgelis has already learned that the challenges of the past do not have to determine what comes next.

From leaving Venezuela as a young teenager to becoming a mother and continuing her education, she has continued moving toward the future she wants to create.

And through her education, she is preparing for a career built around one of her deepest values: caring for others.

Yorgelis' story is one example of how an investment in education can extend beyond one student.

Through the Unbound Scholarship Program, students can pursue their educational goals while developing skills, confidence and experience that can also benefit their families and communities. Scholars like Yorgelis demonstrate how education can create opportunities not only to build a different future for oneself, but to give back along the way.

Help more students like Yorgelis pursue their educational dreams by supporting the Unbound Scholarship Program.

Unbound Field Communications Director Henry Flores contributed information and photos for this story.