Name: Manuela Tzep Lòpez

Education: Studying social work at University Panamericana

Goal: Develop a program that encourages young women to pursue an education.
[read full bio]

Name: Diego Guachaj Chox

Education: Studying social work at University Galileo

Goal: Help people in his village learn Spanish so that they
can participate in the formal economic markets of the country. [read full bio]

Name: Manuel Lopez y Lopez

Education: Studying school administration at Galileo University

Goal: Become the first bilingual administrator of the high school in his region. [read full bio]

Name: Herlinda Guadalupe Cochojil Itcep

Education: Studying medicine at Mesoamericana University in Quetzaltenango

Goal: Open a clinic in her village in order to help prevent the current high rate of infant mortality and child illnesses. [read full bio]

Name: Catarina Mercedes Guarchaj Guarchaj

Education: Studying pedagogy at the University Mariano Galvez

Goal: Become a bilingual high school teacher and college counselor. [read full bio]

Name: Manuel Guarchaj Ixmata

Education: Studying law at the University Mariano Galvez

Goal: Provide access to legal services to indigenous people by being the only bilingual K'iche’/
Spanish attorney in his region. [read full bio]

Name: Pascual Can Chox

Education: Studying school administration at the University Mariano Galvez

Goal: Help open a new high school in his region so that impoverished indigneous youth have access to education.
[read full bio]

Name: Micaela Florentina

Education: Studying teaching at the University Mariano Galvez

Goal: Become a high school teacher and encourage youth in her community to pursue higher education. [read full bio]

Name: Antonia López Tzep

Education: Studying pedagogy at the Mariano Galvez University

Goal: Become a bilingual high school teacher at the secondary school in her region. [read full bio]

Name: Miguel Lomberto Sohom

Education: Studying nursing at the University Mariano Galvez

Goal: Become the first K´iche´ speaking nurse at the clinic available in his village which is historically staffed by non-indigenous medical staff from the city. [read full bio]

Name: Pascual Esteban Rajpop Sac

Education: Studying pedagogy at the University Galileo

Goal: Become a bilingual high school teacher at the only secondary school in his region [read full bio]

Name: Dominga Guarchaj Lòpez

Education: Studying social work at University Panamericana

Goal: Develop a program that works with at-risk youth to prevent involvement in youth gangs. [read full bio]

Name: Dinora Xum Guarchaj

Education: Studying law at the University Rafael Landivar

Goal: Become the first woman and bilingual lawyer in her community in order to help women with domestic disputes [read full bio]

Name: Bartolo Simaj Cotiy

Education: Studying pedagogy at the University Panamericana

Goal: Become a bilingual high school teacher at the only secondary school in his region. [read full bio]

Name: Diego Tziquin Chox

Education: Studying social work at the University Panamericana

Goal: Work along side Roots & Wings, encouraging the youth in his community to study past
primary school.
[read full bio]

Name: Cruz Tzep Can

Education: Studying at the high school, El Instituto La Asuncion

Goal: Continue on to university and become a high school teacher at the only school in his region. [read full bio]

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Name:Josefina Puac Hernandez

Education: Studying Medicine at University Mesoamericana

Goal: Become a community doctor because of the lack of access to medicine in her community. [read full bio]

Name: Manuel Guarchaj Guarchaj

Education: Studying Nursing at La Escuela Esperanza

Goal: Become a bilingual K'iche'/Spanish nurse to attend to the sick in his community who generally have no access to medical care. [read full bio]

Name: Diego Ixquiactap Sac

Education: Studying Law at the University Mariano Gálvez

Goal: Diego is from the mountain village of Pasaquijuyup. He would like to use his law degree to demand that his often marginalized community be recognized by the government for public works projects.
[read full bio]

Name: Antonia Ixtos Tzep

Education: Studying Intercultural Education at the University del Valle

Goal: Antonia worked hard to become the first woman in her community to graduate from high school. She hopes to use her university education to open secondary school in her community of Tzumajhuí, so that other young women can pursue an education. [read full bio]

Name: Manuela Tambriz Ixtos

Education: Studying Pedagogy at the University Mariano Gálvez

Goal: Manuela is from the village of Xojolá and hopes to become a teacher at the school Roots & Wings Int'l plans on opening in her community in 2012.
[read full bio]

Name: Francisco Manuel Xocol Quemá

Education: Studying Systems Engineering at the University Mariano Gálvez

Goal: Francisco is from the village of Chirij Mazá and hopes to help bring technology to the surrounding communities. He sees much potential for development by bringing internet to rural Guatemala and training children in computer systems. [read full bio]

Name: Pascual Marroquín Guarchaj

Education: Studying Social Work at the University Panamericana

Goal: Pascual is from the village of Xejuyup which has suffered much because of high rates of immigration to the U.S. and increasing influence of gangs. Pascual would like to create youth programs for vulnerable young men who have lost their fathers to immigration and would benefit from belonging to groups with healthy and productive missions.
[read full bio]

Name: María Perechú Guarchaj

Education: Studying Social Work at the University Rafael Landivar

Goal: María is from the village of Pasac and hopes to serve in a leadership role with the counsel of women that has been organizing in her village. She believes that women´s groups are an effective way of promoting development in her community. [read full bio]