Cultivating the Future Through Education
USAID is supporting young people from the Dominican Republic to access and remain in higher education.
Approximately two years ago, Jhony Josué Mora lived with his grandparents – who were farmers – in the municipality of Azua, in the southwest region of the Dominican Republic. His father disappeared before he was born, when he left for Puerto Rico in a boat, while his mother moved to San Cristóbal in search of a better life. His life was spent between studying and enjoying experiences where he lived, while he waited to complete secondary education to join the military service.
However, Jhony's destiny took a turn when he learned about the “Camino a la Universidad” Transition Program from USAID's Higher Education Partnership Project. Two representatives of the program visited the school where he studied, and captured his and his classmates' attention by talking to them about the opportunities that entering higher education would bring them, as well as the possibility of studying at the Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, one of the higher education institutions that implement the project.
“Before participating in the Transition Program I did not have studying as a priority in my mind; my plan was to join the Air Force. As soon as I finished high school, I planned to go directly to the law enforcement academy and wait for them to call me to join the Air Force,” he says.
“Then I learned about the project and the program, and that made me think. They gathered all of us and gave us a very creative talk about the benefits of going to university and the requirements to enter. At first I went to the activities for fun, but little by little I became motivated and decided to enroll in the Faculty of Agronomic and Veterinary Sciences of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo for a degree in Agronomy,” he adds.
However, the transition to college was not one without obstacles. Family and friends tried to dissuade him, warning him about the difficulties he would face when moving to Santo Domingo and studying that career.
“When I said I was going to study agronomy, one of my grandfather's brothers told me that agronomists are currently going hungry, that there are no jobs in the country for that area. That blocked me mentally and I became negative about the degree,” he says.
“In my neighborhood they didn't support me either. I went up and down looking for problems. So, when I expressed that I was going to study at university, they said they would give me two months to abandon it,” he recalls.
Despite this, with the support of the project and his grandparents, as well as his own determination, Jhony persevered and embarked on the college journey, demonstrating his commitment to his education and personal development.
“Even though many people didn't believe in me, I've been in college for a year and a half, learning and growing with every step I take,” he says proudly.
“The USAID project representatives always told us that if you want to achieve something, you have to set goals and work to achieve them, without being negatively influenced by the opinions of others. My grandparents also encouraged me a lot,” she says.
Jhony's perseverance at the university not only highlights his determination, but also how the student retention programs – offered by the Faculty of Agronomic and Veterinary Sciences of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo in collaboration with the USAID project – have played a crucial role in his ability to overcome initial obstacles and stay focused on college success.
His participation in programs sponsored by USAID, such as Coaching for Success, Soft Skills and Academic Coaching, became fundamental pillars of his transformation. Through these programs he learned to visualize his goals, to free himself from the negative thoughts and to use tools that allowed him to improve academically in some subjects that were challenging for him. He understands that the skills he acquired thanks to USAID will not only be useful in the academic field, but also in his personal and professional life.
“From the Coaching for Success and Soft Skills programs, there are two activities that had a great impact on me. In a workshop they put us at stations with phrases about goals, so that we could read them and imagine ourselves achieving them. In another, they asked us to write down on a piece of paper everything negative that we wanted to leave behind, then we went out to the patio, burned it and said goodbye to all those negative things. “Those were very nice experiences that will be useful to me for the rest of my life,” she emphasizes.
Jhony is happy to study agronomy and sees his future with optimism. His love of agriculture, planted in his childhood by his grandparents, now merges with his academic knowledge, allowing him to share what he has learned with those who inspired him from the beginning. In five years he sees himself with his university degree and starting a master's degree.
Jhony appreciates the support of USAID and wishes there were more initiatives like these that encourage young people to improve themselves. Through USAID's Higher Education Partnership Project, Jhony and other students across the country have been supported, providing them with the tools they need to access and remain in higher education. To date, 833 students have participated in the Bridge Program and 560 in student retention programs. In addition, thousands of young people, parents and educators have become aware of the importance of higher education.
With his story, Jhony wants to convey a message to young people: “To visualize themselves in the future, to get rid of limitations and to look for opportunities for growth.” He also urges parents, family members and close friends not to impose mental limitations on young people, but rather to provide them with constant support and motivate them to cultivate their future through education.
About this story
This story was written by Yaira Portes, Communications Officer for USAID's Higher Education Partnership Project. This piece was edited by Brenda Silverio, USAID Social Media and Multimedia Specialist in the Dominican Republic.
Photos by USAID Higher Education Partnership.