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(the amount is in Mexican pesos)
Why This Conference Matters
Education has shaped not only my career, but my sense of purpose in the world.
For years, my work has centered on communities living through disruption and uncertainty. I have worked with displaced families, refugees, and individuals whose lives have been profoundly affected by violence and forced migration. In these spaces, I have witnessed something that continues to guide me: education is never just about schooling. It is about dignity, hope, and the possibility of rebuilding one’s life.
Today, as a graduate student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, I continue to pursue questions that emerged directly from those lived experiences. My research focuses on education in contexts of conflict, displacement, and social fragility, particularly in Latin America. Recently, I was honored to be accepted to present my paper from March 27 to April 1 at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) 2026 Conference in San Francisco, one of the most important global gatherings of scholars and practitioners working at the intersection of education and social change.
María, one of the women from Michoacán whom I interviewed, shared with me: “They wanted to take my son and my husband to sell drugs. Someone warned us to leave the house, because if we didn't, they were going to kill him, they were going to kill us all. If my children can go back to school, maybe all this suffering will have meaning.”
This opportunity is deeply meaningful to me. Presenting at CIES is a chance to contribute to critical conversations about how education can serve communities, especially women, facing violence, inequality, and forced displacement. It is also an opportunity to learn from researchers and practitioners whose work inspires and informs my own. You can find the program and my name here.
However, attending the conference brings significant financial challenges. As a full-time student and a new parent living in another country, I must carefully balance academic commitments, family responsibilities, and limited resources, as well as considering that I already have three student loans in order to study at Harvard. Traveling to present my work requires covering registration, air tickets, food, taxis, materials, and accommodation expenses that exceed what I can reasonably manage on my own, also considering that San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the world, and the conference lasts five days.
If you choose to support this journey, you are not only helping me attend a conference. You are investing in research and dialogue that seek to expand educational opportunities for communities living in some of the most difficult circumstances. You are supporting work grounded in the belief that education can be a force for resilience, justice, and human flourishing.
Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a genuine difference.
As a token of my appreciation, I will write a personalized poem for each donor.
For those who would like to contribute in the US by Zelle, I also accept donations via mobile: 8573318647.
If you aren’t able to donate, you can also support by sharing my story and this fundraising with others.
And if you can think of other ways to support or to afford it, I would love to hear from you as well.
Thank you for being part of this path and for believing, as I do, in the transformative power of education.
With gratitude,
Andrés
Organizer
