When opportunities and effort make dreams come true
Meet Arnaldo Hernandez, the principal architect and founding owner of STADT Studio. At the tender age of nineteen, he was awarding a scholarship to pursue architecture studies in Cuba. As he recalls, “This was the pivotal moment that forever transformed my life. Securing the scholarship was neither quick nor easy, but I will forever cherish the individuals who had faith in me. Thanks to this remarkable opportunity and my unwavering dedication, I stand today as an architect and a beacon of positivity, actively contributing to the progress of my nation through my work.
The following is an excerpt from the article “Dreams and Opportunities” that was written by Karla Baca for the newspaper “The New Mexican” and was published on Monday, September 18, 2000.
Cayo, Belize. At the end of September, when Arnaldo Hernández boards a plane to leave his native country, Belize, for the first time in his 19 years of life, he will go in search of a high school diploma at a Cuban university so that he can become a professional architect, his dream. This door is opened to him thanks to one of fifty scholarships offered by a collaboration program between the Belizean government that pays $100 a month for subsistence in Cuba and the Cuban government that pays for tuition, books, food, and housing.
The difficulties of living without his own income in a foreign country, far from his family, and studying in a different educational system are not unique in Hernández’s life.
His life in Belize, the least populated country in Central America, located south of Mexico, has been a battle. As the oldest brother of five children, Hernández learned the meaning of being responsible at an early age. When he was seven years old, his mother abandoned them, taking only one daughter with her. The year before, his father had gone to California looking for work. To survive, Hernández went to the neighboring stores asking for eggs and bread on credit. “I was a specialist in preparing eggs in all forms. Every day I cooked eggs for my little brothers. He made them bigger by adding baking powder; that way they seemed to abound more.”
It was not easy for him to take responsibility. “My grandmother was with us for three years, but when she got sick, times became difficult.
He learned the value of education when he lived with relatives who led a more orderly life. He realized that he could not walk the streets, that he had chores around the house, and that living by strict rules was not so bad. Living with that family, he says, made him admire what they could do with a good education and set goals for himself.
After a while, his father returned to Belize and Hernández felt better, “it was a relief to have someone to provide at home.” At the age of 11, Hernández had already learned to be responsible, and it was no problem for him to help by washing clothes, cooking, and taking care of everything for his little brothers. At last, he could concentrate on his studies and that is what he did for the next eight years. After this, he received a diploma for two years of university studies.
In Belize, to pass the grade you must pass an exam every year-end. Most of the schools are private, and although it is expensive, many young Belizeans graduate from high school. Local universities offer only two years degree, and some earn a diploma, as Hernández did. However, even with this diploma in hand, it is difficult to get a professional job, due to the large number of young people in the population with a similar level of qualification.
According to information from the United States Congress Library, 58 percent of Belizeans are under 20 years of age. Of 71,000 people in the labor force, 30 percent work in agriculture; 16 percent, in services; 15 percent, in the government; 11 percent in trade, and 10 percent in manufacturing. The unemployment rate is 13 percent.
Although he is aware of the lack of employment in her country, Hernández explains: “If I had not graduated from high school and if I had not continued, I would not have the same opportunity to improve myself.
Education has also changed his perspective on life, and his way of thinking: “Now I have greater self-esteem because I can make my dream come true. Education has made me more mature. I know I do not want to be at parties, drinking, smoking marijuana, and spending money. Education has taught me to stay away from people who cause trouble.”
Although he does not know if he will have a job in his country after studying the five years it will take to become an architect, Hernández says he cannot let this opportunity slip away.
For now, he says, the decision he has made is the best one for him. He dreams of designing new styles of buildings in Belize when he returns from Cuba as an architect.
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