Maria’s success story;  How one scholarship changed everything for Maria.

When Pura Vida travelers first met Maria, she was a young woman selling chicken potholders at a Guatemalan market — warm, persistent, and full of quiet determination. Few could have imagined that a decade later, she would be seated at the United Nations, speaking on behalf of indigenous women across her country. Yet that is exactly where Maria’s story led.

In 2013, Maria was selected for a Pura Vida scholarship — a turning point she describes as one of the greatest blessings of her life. Growing up one of nine siblings in a family that could not afford to educate all of its children, the support was transformative. But beyond the financial assistance, the program gave her something deeper: the conviction that with effort and dedication, her dreams were within reach.

“Every act of support not only provides resources and opportunities, but also leaves a legacy of hope and motivation that inspires us to keep dreaming and striving.”

Maria channeled that hope into her studies, graduating from Universidad Mariano Gálvez with a Bachelor of Social Work — a degree she had always dreamed of earning. In 2024, she traveled to the United States for the first time to address the United Nations’ 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women as an advocate for the rights of indigenous women in Guatemala.

Today, Maria works across multiple organizations in her field, contributing professionally while helping support her family. She remains committed to working with young people and families — sharing her experience and showing others that anything is possible with perseverance. Her journey is a living testament to what becomes possible when a young woman is simply given the chance to rise.

Maria’s story is made possible through the partnership of A More Balanced World and Pura Vida Ministries, a Colorado-based nonprofit providing holistic educational support to underserved children and youth in Guatemala.