The Prologue to a Great Story
By Cesar Gallardo, Alum from Honduras
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”- Robert Frost
I grew up in Honduras, where students attend school for 11 years on average. In 2015, I was a university graduate, struggling to decide which of the two roads in front of me I should take. The first option was a tempting job opportunity working for a multinational company. But the other road, the one I could not stop focusing on, was the opportunity to apply for a YLAI fellowship.
As I analyzed all possible outcomes, I realized that YLAI was a risky path. There was no guarantee I would get selected. And then I thought back to the Robert Frost quote I love and decided that this road, the road called YLAI, regardless of its result, would make all the difference. So I applied…and then spent the next two months questioning my decision. “What if I didn’t get accepted? What if I lost my chance at a big “dream” job? What if they didn’t believe in my project? What if they didn’t believe in me?”
After two months and a video interview, I received a new email alert. I could feel the nerves as I clicked it, and the rest of that memory is hazy. I had been accepted. At first, I celebrated this achievement and felt supremely proud of myself. A moment later, I checked my privilege and remembered that this opportunity would allow me to develop my dream into something permanent, that could change lives every day.
Armed with the knowledge of what the YLAI program could do to propel my dream, I went ahead and prepared for the two-month fellowship. Once there, I met 247 other fellows from all over Latin America and the Caribbean. I networked with successful people throughout the United States, learned from the Muncie Public Library, and discovered the US in a way I never had before.
Matias, from Argentina, taught me about fintech. Ignacio, from Costa Rica, and I implemented a recycling program in our own apartment. Nelicia, from Trinidad and Tobago, and I devoured all-you-can-eat shrimp. Ana Maria, from Guatemala, and I went to the market together. I developed close friendships with the Quinoa twins Angela and Silvia, from Bolivia. Brazilian chef Andre Dumont fed us unforgettable dishes. I laughed until my stomach hurt with Catalina from Chile. And I learned how to pitch like a winner from my Mexican friend Jose. My memories are filled with happiness and discovery and friendship and camaraderie.
Upon returning, I felt energized and inspired. I sought to strengthen my project and tried to take advantage of every opportunity I could, including YLAI’s reverse exchange program, through which Katherine Mitchell, the kind woman who had taught me so much at the Muncie Public Library, and YLAI’s very own Evan Kindle, traveled to Honduras to see all that they had supported when they selected me as a fellow.
I had, many times over, described to them what their encouragement meant, not just to me, but to all of the children who use our libraries every day. Showing them that very thing I had spent countless hours trying to describe was priceless. They visited our libraries, spoke to young Hondurans about entrepreneurship, and continued to inspire and strengthen what started as a favour to a friend.
Today, Dona un Libro, Cambia una Mente has given over 6000 children access to books. We have donated over 8,000 books to public schools and institutions in Honduras. We have worked with over 12 teachers to train parents and faculty on how to inspire kids to read and write more. We have celebrated 2 children’s days and have held workshops at youth rehabilitation centres. We have told many stories, and we have helped children dream up their own. We have introduced them to the infinite worlds found within books, and we have inspired them to search within their own imaginations for the stories their hearts want to tell.
I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I know I will continue to create the change my country so desperately needs. And I know there are 247 other YLAI fellows doing the same wherever they are. They continue to inspire me, even from a distance. While I knew the program would change my project by turning a dream into a more concrete reality, I didn’t really imagine that this road less traveled by would also change me. And that has made all the difference.
