Believing in others is empowering and life-changing. But believing in myself was very difficult for me. I was raised in a broken home, and ever since I was very little, my father called me names like stupid, useless, and brainless. I only felt a bit valued when I got good grades in school. Eventually, my father left, and my family became very poor. I got older with very low self-esteem, fearing that one day I may become homeless.
Even after I grew up and found a partner everyone thought was perfect for marriage, I still did not believe I had any talent or intelligence. No matter how accomplished I felt after a day of work, next to my boyfriend, I felt like I needed his approval for every little thing. Our conversations about marriage and buying a house would always revolve around what he wanted. He told me that as long as I was with him, I would never be poor again, and I started to believe that he was the key to feeling safe and secure.
What changed me was the One Young World Summit in Ottawa I attended four years ago. Hearing the stories of survivors from all corners of the world made me feel like I could do and achieve more. I could be more than just someone’s wife. Soon after returning to Costa Rica, I ended the six-year relationship I thought would last a lifetime. It was during this emotional upheaval that I applied to be a One Young World Coordinating Ambassador. By becoming a Coordinating Ambassador, I wouldn’t simply be a participant anymore. I would have the responsibility of being a catalyzer for our Ambassador community. Desperate to prove that I could achieve big things on my own, I spent hours on my application. I had to look inside myself, find my value, and put it into words.
One Young World believed in me and gave me a chance. Grateful and empowered, I worked hard toward building a platform and a community for young leaders and social innovators to share their work and connect with like-minded people.
I served as the Coordinating Ambassador of Central America from 2016 to 2018. Eventually, I became a Managing Ambassador, a position that connects different regions together. My life completely changed because someone believed in me when I could not believe in myself, and that empowered me to achieve so much more than I could even imagine. That is why I dream of a world where people can find someone that believes in them—and I choose to build toward this world every day.
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