I Won the Ver+ Tech Scholarship!
It was the end of the year, many festivities were gathering, and I was meeting again with those family members and friends I love so much. All of a sudden, I received some great news… I won the Ver+ Tech Scholarship to study Systems and Computer Engineering, offering me 95% of the cost of the degree at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellín. It felt as if I had won the lottery. Nevertheless, I faced a major dilemma: studying my undergraduate degree at a renowned university in Barranquilla, where I had also been accepted, or taking advantage of the scholarship at one of the best universities in Colombia, in Medellín. The time to decide was running out, and I had to make one of the most important decisions of my life. I am José Díaz, and this is the story of how I became part of the best scholarship program in Colombia, overcoming the challenges along the way and much more.
As the moment to make a decision approached, I realized that the Ver+ Tech Scholarship program was the best option, not only because of all the new features it had compared to a traditional scholarship, but also because it would allow me to get to know the city I had longed to move to at some point in my life. Now that dream could come true, but I had to face the difficult reality of not seeing my friends, family, and partner for a long time. With great courage and after many difficult conversations, I decided to take the trip to Medellín, throwing myself into the unknown.
During the bus ride to what would become my home for many years, I reflected on everything I had gone through, especially the application process. It was not easy: in the first stage, I completed dozens of forms in Spanish and English, as well as recording a video to introduce myself. Then, I received an email notifying me that I had advanced to the next stage. That was when I faced a demanding mathematics test; nerves ran through my body, but my determination was even stronger. When I reached the final stage, I was interviewed by members of the scholarship and university committees. At that precise moment, all I could think about was how fortunate I felt to have been selected from among more than 3,000 applicants.
Suddenly, I returned to the present, and everything I had experienced began to make sense. What I had done before had had a purpose that I did not discover until that precise moment. The projects, my affinity for technology, programming, and engineering.
Although adapting to a new city, culture, and climate has been challenging, I am proud to have overcome one of the hardest challenges: getting used to another place without the people who have been in my life since I was young. In addition, I got to know a great community of scholars and exceptional people. That is why I am telling my story: to tell all those people who, like me, dreamed of studying at a great university but do not have the resources to take the initiative and join the Ver+ Tech Scholarship, because only you have the possibility of changing your future.
As a result of all these experiences, I have developed greater patience, tolerance, and resilience. I am currently in my second semester at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, where I continue acquiring academic knowledge. At the same time, I am deepening my knowledge of technology on my own, facing new challenges and perfecting my skills to become more independent in my daily life. Each challenge has allowed me to strengthen my ability to adapt and solve problems, preparing me better for the future.
However, this is only the beginning. There are still contributions to make to people, problems in our society to solve, and thousands of people to impact positively. Just as I was able to contribute to my classmates' learning process and they contributed to mine, you can also help change our reality; it is simply a matter of setting our minds to it.
This post was originally published on the vélezreyes+ website.