Zuliana Lopez, Limitless Horizons Ixil’s Co-Director and Head of Operations, is renowned for her positivity, bubbly high energy, problems solving skills, ambition, and perseverance. After long days in Chajul, Zuli gives Zumba lessons three evenings per week in Nebaj. Known to find ways to inject energy and fun into all she does, upon joining the team in Chajul in 2017, she quickly became the touchstone for students beyond graduation.
Now the leader of Limitless Horizons Ixil’s Emerging Leaders Program, Zuli is dedicated to supporting Chajul’s next generation of professionals and leaders beyond the classroom. She ensures graduates are equipped with the tools, confidence, and opportunities they need to succeed personally and professionally. Whether writing recommendation letters, providing access to career-path and interview training, or matching students with scholarships, Zuli serves as graduates’ vital connection to what she fondly calls “la gran familia de Horizontes” (the extended family of LHI). Perhaps most importantly, she strengthens graduates’ confidence and resilience, encouraging them to persevere when self-doubt or fear of failure arise—whether it’s before a university entrance exam or a job interview. “Even though these students are now professionals or have graduated, that doesn’t mean an opportunity is already waiting for them. They often need an extra push to jump-start their careers,” Zuli explains.
Zuli’s dedication, often going above and beyond to meet each graduate’s needs, has created a noticeable ripple effect in families and the community. The transformations she has personally contributed to, such as those of Lucrecia and Elicia, serve as constant reminders for her that Limitless Horizons Ixil is fulfilling its mission to empower Chajul’s youth and inspire lasting change. And it doesn’t end there, once students have jobs, Zuli follows their progress, to make sure they can succeed in their new roles, even finding training to strengthen relevant skills if necessary. Without the safety net Zuli and the Emerging Leaders Program provide, students often have nowhere to turn for career advice and emotional support after graduating, preventing them from being able to take the last step in realizing the future they’ve envisioned for themselves.
This added layer of support beyond high school or college has been a cornerstone of Limitless Horizons Ixil’s success and growth over the past 20 years. “For me, the biggest impact of the organization on the community is that women who might not have had the opportunity to attend high school are now university-educated professionals with careers previously seen as options only for men, such as biochemistry or accounting,” Zuli shares.
She has helped place many of these graduates—typically the first in their families to achieve more than an elementary-school education and secure a professional job—in local professional roles, a monumental feat in a town where only 6% of the population is formally employed.
Additional curriculum and courses now offered at Colegio Horizontes are aimed at supporting students develop confidence, practical knowledge, and critical thinking, all of which empower them to seize opportunities or create their own: “The most important thing now is to make the best use of our students’ time at school,” Zuli highlights, explaining how Limitless Horizons Ixil is working to ensure every student has the resources they need, before and after graduation. “With high-quality education, our students won’t be afraid to start a business or apply for any job opportunity,” Zuli states proudly.
As Zuli often reminds the team, Limitless Horizons Ixil’s growth would not have been possible without the solid foundation of success built by the organization’s earlier graduates.
Their achievements proved the value of the organization’s model and inspired the confidence of local staff, the donor community, and the board of directors to support the bold step of opening Colegio Horizontes, the region’s only full day, girl-centered middle and high school. By proving what is possible with education, these trailblazers paved the way for even greater opportunities for the next generation of Chajul’s youth.
At Limitless Horizons Ixil, every graduate represents a triumph of perseverance, community support, and the belief that education can change lives. As Zuli affirms, “If we are determined, the horizons truly are limitless.”
This giving season, support Limitless Horizons Ixil to empower more changemakers.