Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
Owell Eslí Torrez Castillo / Nicaragua

Province: Autonomous Region of the South Atlantic (R.A.A.S.)
City: Bluefields
Age: 18

Class of 2012-2015

Scholar: Norman Reyes Scholar: Pedro Álvarez

Owell grew up in Bluefields, a city on Nicaragua´s Caribbean coast. His experiences with ecological stewardship—such as tree-planting campaigns—and learning about agriculture on the farm of a friend´s father enlivened his interest in both environmental leadership and sustainable agriculture, inspiring him to apply to EARTH in 2010. He feels confident that his training at EARTH will prepare him to “be productive in my society, capable of managing my own business, and in this way offering employment opportunities to my community—while always conscious of using our natural resources sustainably.” Eventually, he envisions starting an agricultural micro business and a foundation to help poor children to access basic education.