Hello! I am Dianelsa Mitzel Chirú Morales, I was born in the province of Coclé, specifically in Penonomé. I grew up in the community of Sofre, township of Pajonal, in a humble and hardworking family.
I attended primary school in the Simón Martínez Pérez school in Sofre and also completed the first cycle (Telebasica). I then graduated from the Bilingual Educational Center Federico Zúñiga Feliú with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
Last year (2021) during the third quarter of the school year, I was contacted by Forum Foundation. Since they knew my situation and contacted me to provide me with assistance; which consisted of giving me phone cards every 8 days to receive virtual classes. This was a great help because it allowed me to be present in all of my classes and perform daily activities and assignments.
Learning during the pandemic was a challenge for all students, we faced something totally new and unexpected in the educational system. Personally, virtuality was difficult for me, because I do not have all the necessary resources for this modality. For example, where I live there is also no electricity, so it was hard to keep the phone charged, coupled with the lack of economic resources to guarantee participation in the classes and completion of assignments.
Last year, SENACYT Panama’s National Secretariat for Science Technology and Innovation published a call for applications to receive undergraduate scholarships. I decided to participate, and that is where I met Mrs. Maria Martin, who encouraged me and advised me during the whole process so that I was able to complete everything I needed to do to participate.
The first stage consisted in fulfilling the requirements demanded by the entity where the academic index was paramount. Then I had an interview with specialists in the area to be studied. Finally, once the whole process was completed, the results were published and I was awarded a scholarship to pursue a degree in Cyber Security at the University of Southern Indiana in the United States.
Another great achievement I had was participating in the National Oratory Contest 2021. I won first place in my school, then I was among the top three at the regional level. I finished among the 45 best in my educational region, for which I obtained the medal that I wear in my photo.
I thank God for this opportunity he has given me.
I advise students to fight for their goals, there will always be setbacks but with resilience, they will be overcome. Our Panama is waiting for professionals willing to fight for a better country.
I agree with a phrase of Francisco Dominguez Brito where he says: “education should be the top national priority because it is the most effective way to combat poverty”.
Lendy Dominguez, who you may remember from other stories of success that we have published, will join Danielsa at the University of Southern Indiana. She will pursue a degree in Biochemistry. Their first year will be spent improving their English and learning to navigate life as a university student in Southern Indiana.
Forum Foundation is committed to supporting young inspiring people like Danielsa and Lendy, lifelong learners who help make change sustainable in their communities.