STORY OF MARIO ROBERTO VASQUEZ LOPEZ
With enriching contributions by Michael Lysek and Cory Bronenkamp,
Former students at Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama
And a special thanks to Lindsay Hughes, the college’s Associate Director of Communications and Marketing, who facilitated these contacts and shared photos
Editor’s Note: The executive director of CRISPAZ, Francisco Ugarte, suggested we interview Mario. We knew nothing about him before sitting down together other than the brief synopsis Francisco shared. His story continued to unfold and develop for months afterwards.
Cory was class president when he, Michael, and others joined Francisco Ugarte’s CRISPAZ immersion trip in El Salvador for a week in March, 2010. As a result of their positive experiences and specifically being touched by Mario whom they met, they collectively formed a non-profit organization (International Organization for Youth Education) which provided a scholarship to Mario, its first recipient.
We interviewed both Michael and Cory, who helped put Mario on a road to future sustainable income. They provided further insight and details about Mario’s life.
In addition, it is refreshing to hear the two of them passionately share how the impact of this immersion trip and their creative follow-up motivates their personal long-term goals and plans.