Selvin was born into rural life in a small coffee-growing village in the Department of La Paz, Honduras. As a child, he helped his family cultivate coffee and was very enthusiastic about studying. It was difficult for most of the youth in his community to get a university education due to social, geographical, and economic conditions. Nevertheless, this was Selvin’s dream, and there was no way he would give it up.
In 2018, when it was his time to make that dream come true, his grandmother came with great news: during a meeting at the coffee cooperative she belonged to, she learned about EARTH University. It was everything Selvin wanted. His dream now had a name: EARTH. He started the application process, and although he was accepted, it was not until 2020 that he entered the University with support from Mastercard Foundation.
Agronomy had been on Selvin’s mind for some time. He had seen for years how the farmers of Pacheco Morales, his village, repeated processes with their crops that did not improve harvests, profits, soil conditions, water, or the environment. Although he did not have answers or solutions to understand what was wrong, he was confident that his studies at EARTH could enable him to help improve life in his community. Selvin is now in his third year at EARTH and is in Brazil, about to begin his professional internship. Since he began his studies at EARTH, he has given his best, and his efforts have paid off. He knows that in the future, he will return to Pacheco Morales ready to help other farmers, start his projects, and achieve new dreams.
“This University changed my world. It changed my whole perspective of society, and I feel that all these changes have been for the better. They have made me a more resilient person and aware of global issues and those that are present in my community. In the future, I see myself transforming the world for the better. I want to help my family, other people, my community, and wherever I go,” Selvin says.