I was working for the migrant education program in my county where there was this little boy, and he shaped my entire life. He was an immigrant from Guatemala and when he first came to the US, he was living in a shed, sleeping on the ground, in a very impoverished community, so I spearheaded this whole idea to help this child and the other individuals who came with him from Guatemala. And literally, this boy changed my entire life. He enlightened me to go out and make policy and make change for other children, not just for my community itself, but also for other communities throughout the world— he really shaped who I am. I could have been in a similar situation as this little boy. I will never forget his name, and I will never forget his face.

– Yadira Paz-Martinez PPS’25 explains how helping a community of Guatemalan immigrants inspired her to major in public policy. #HumansofDukeSanford #undergrad #Guatemala #immigration

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