Growing up in a family of six, with her father working as a farmer and her mother as a homemaker, Teresa Lucrecia believed her education would end after elementary school. “Without the support of Limitless Horizons Ixil, I think I would have only graduated from elementary school, because our family’s economy wouldn’t have allowed us to afford middle or high school for all four of my siblings. Dreaming is free, but sometimes achieving those dreams costs money—that’s where LHI’s support fits in,” Lucrecia shares.
With the support of Limitless Horizons Ixil, Lucrecia entered middle school in 2017, and just this year (2024) she proudly completed a vocational degree in Dressmaking and Tailoring, an opportunity she hadn’t even known existed just two years ago. “Zuli convinced me to explore vocational training through The Guatemalan Technical Institute for Training and Productivity (INTECAP), which I had never heard of before,” Lucrecia explained. Unsure of whether or not college was the right next step for her, and with Zuli’s guidance, Lucrecia chose to turn her childhood love for sewing into an entrepreneurial venture through vocational training.
Today, Lucrecia plans to save up for a sewing machine and launch her own business. “If more people here went to vocational schools, we would have a wider variety of services that locals could provide,” says Lucrecia.
“Vocational training helps keep your mind fresh and gives you a vision of what you want to be in the future,” she reflects. Lucrecia now encourages every student at Colegio Horizontes to consider vocational training, especially for those interested in entrepreneurship.
Lucrecia’s story is a powerful reminder of how opportunity, when supported by the right guidance and resources, can transform lives. Through Limitless Horizons Ixil, she not only found the path to higher education, but an unexpected way to build the future she’s always dreamed of.
This giving season, support Limitless Horizons Ixil to empower more changemakers like Lucrecia.