Launching Careers through Education: Norlan Hernández
Norlan Ramón Hernández Arévalo was born in the rural community of Troilo into a family with two brothers. When he was five years old, his family moved to the city of León for a work opportunity for his father. Financial issues forced the family to return to Troilo, where they had to start from scratch. Norlan began working at a young age to support his family financially.
In 2015, staff members from ViviendasLeón were conducting a community diagnostic study in Troilo when they met Norlan. He volunteered to assist the staff in their research, which included collecting information on the strengths and needs of the community. Norlan joined VL staff as they visited homes, families, local leaders, schools, and community brigadistas to learn more about the community. “From this moment on,” Norlan said, “I began developing a friendship with ViviendasLeón and their staff.” The information collected during this study helped VL to develop Troilo’s community-strengthening Human Capacity Training (HCT) plan.
Around this time, Norlan’s father was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. This put an economic strain on the family, so he left school to work at a farm cutting sugarcane. However, Norlan found out about VL’s scholarship program and decided to apply. The scholarship program provides students with money for school fees and expenses like textbooks and transportation in order to keep students in school. “After putting in the time and effort to apply, VL granted me a scholarship which helped me resume my studies. ViviendasLeón was there when I needed them the most,” Norlan said. He got the scholarship and has been able to continue his studies, now in his second year at La Salle Polytechnic Institute in León. He is completing a degree to become an Industrial Electrician, learning about industrial machines electrical circuits, and residential electrical systems.
Norlan is grateful to VL’s scholarship program for enabling him to go to school and support his family. “VL has opened many doors in my life that I never imagined possible, and would not be where I am without their help,” he said. “I give thanks to VL for making my dream of achieving a career possible, as I hope to provide positive change for my family, community, and country.”
ViviendasLeón works to combat this issue with its Scholarship Program. This program is offered to students who live in the rural communities of León and display great academic potential. It provides students with the support they need in order to pursue higher education.
Share This Forward