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Hello! My name is Rommel Aranguren, a 20-years-old aspiring doctor from Venezuela, and I have found myself in a counter-clock race to start my studies abroad as soon as possible.
What I have done
Having been a successful high school student, I was awarded a full scholarship to complete the International Baccalaureate in the United World College of Costa Rica. At UWCCR, I worked hard to achieve my dreams, maintaining a distinctive GPA of 6.67/7. However, I was also aware that I could help others achieve their dreams, so I involved myself in a wide variety of extracurricular activities. The most important highlight of my service experience at UWCCR was volunteering as a facilitator for a series of project development workshops, through which I was able to help young Costa Ricans from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds develop community-based projects, which ultimately solved many of their local challenges. I identified with their struggles on a very personal level – I didn't want more children to grow up facing what I had to face at such a young age.
Living in Venezuela, I have faced many challenges to achieve my dreams - and sadly, most of them have been economic. Being out of the country with nobody but my family in Venezuela to support me seemed like an endless struggle, and I learned to adopt a much humble lifestyle. As it is no secret that hyperinflation has been ravaging my home country for years, it was extremely hard for my family to support me these past years - and now that it’s become impossible, I am afraid that I won't be able to complete my academic goals in Venezuela.
My goal
Day by day, the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela worsens. With sky-high crime rates, inflation, and an abusive government, living with dignity is almost impossible. My goal is enrolling in the University of Buenos Aires School of medicine in Buenos Aires, Argentina. However, given the current economic situation in Venezuela, it is impossible for me to save any money. I am currently working full-time as an English teacher for an institute in Caracas, yet the maximum salary I can earn is only 10$ a month. This means that in order to cover the cost of living in Buenos Aires as a student for only a month I would have to work for approximately two years - and that is assuming that none of the money is spent during that long period of time.
As the tuition at the University of Buenos Aires is virtually free, I only have to cover rent and food, with minimum extra expenditure, adding up to $500 a month. A one-way plane ticket from Caracas to Buenos Aires is currently priced at $900. On top of that, another $550 are needed in order to process my immigration documents with the Argentinian embassy. All in all, emigrating to a better future is not only hard, but impossible to cover for given me and my family's limited resources.
What you can do
This is where you as a donor can help make a positive change in my life, for if I stay in Venezuela I will never be able to find my true potential. The goal of this fundraiser is to help cover for my travelling costs, as well as having somewhere to live and something to eat for while I find a job that will allow me to work and study medicine simultaneously. It is starting this journey that I need your help with, and my family and I will be eternally grateful for your donation. My personal mission is to honor your collaboration through my hard work, discipline and dedication in medical school, so that the day I receive my degree, you will know that such an achievement was made possible thanks to your goodwill.
May God bless you, and once again, thank you for making a dream come true.
Best,
Rommel Aranguren
UWCCR '17
What I have done
Having been a successful high school student, I was awarded a full scholarship to complete the International Baccalaureate in the United World College of Costa Rica. At UWCCR, I worked hard to achieve my dreams, maintaining a distinctive GPA of 6.67/7. However, I was also aware that I could help others achieve their dreams, so I involved myself in a wide variety of extracurricular activities. The most important highlight of my service experience at UWCCR was volunteering as a facilitator for a series of project development workshops, through which I was able to help young Costa Ricans from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds develop community-based projects, which ultimately solved many of their local challenges. I identified with their struggles on a very personal level – I didn't want more children to grow up facing what I had to face at such a young age.
Living in Venezuela, I have faced many challenges to achieve my dreams - and sadly, most of them have been economic. Being out of the country with nobody but my family in Venezuela to support me seemed like an endless struggle, and I learned to adopt a much humble lifestyle. As it is no secret that hyperinflation has been ravaging my home country for years, it was extremely hard for my family to support me these past years - and now that it’s become impossible, I am afraid that I won't be able to complete my academic goals in Venezuela.
My goal
Day by day, the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela worsens. With sky-high crime rates, inflation, and an abusive government, living with dignity is almost impossible. My goal is enrolling in the University of Buenos Aires School of medicine in Buenos Aires, Argentina. However, given the current economic situation in Venezuela, it is impossible for me to save any money. I am currently working full-time as an English teacher for an institute in Caracas, yet the maximum salary I can earn is only 10$ a month. This means that in order to cover the cost of living in Buenos Aires as a student for only a month I would have to work for approximately two years - and that is assuming that none of the money is spent during that long period of time.
As the tuition at the University of Buenos Aires is virtually free, I only have to cover rent and food, with minimum extra expenditure, adding up to $500 a month. A one-way plane ticket from Caracas to Buenos Aires is currently priced at $900. On top of that, another $550 are needed in order to process my immigration documents with the Argentinian embassy. All in all, emigrating to a better future is not only hard, but impossible to cover for given me and my family's limited resources.
What you can do
This is where you as a donor can help make a positive change in my life, for if I stay in Venezuela I will never be able to find my true potential. The goal of this fundraiser is to help cover for my travelling costs, as well as having somewhere to live and something to eat for while I find a job that will allow me to work and study medicine simultaneously. It is starting this journey that I need your help with, and my family and I will be eternally grateful for your donation. My personal mission is to honor your collaboration through my hard work, discipline and dedication in medical school, so that the day I receive my degree, you will know that such an achievement was made possible thanks to your goodwill.
May God bless you, and once again, thank you for making a dream come true.
Best,
Rommel Aranguren
UWCCR '17
Organizer
Rommel Aranguren
Organizer