Zuri took a steadying breath. This is it. This is the next step necessary to her dreams coming to fruition.
On March 16th, Zuri signed up to take the high school entrance exam.
This step is both exciting and hard-worked for. Zuri struggled with maintaining high grades in elementary school. With the help of Fabiola, a Back2Back Cancun tutor, Zuri has not only improved her grades, but is looking toward her future.
Growing up, she could always be found in the kitchen. Zuri watched her mother, Dalila, at the stove, as she prepared traditional, Mayan dishes. She took what she learned from those days of observation and began making the dishes herself. Now, Zuri has set her sights on becoming a chef.
Unlike American schools, students in Mexico test into a high school, or preparatoria, that will offer them necessary tools for the jobs they wish to pursue. The superior technical school Zuri hopes to enter will give her beginning training and appropriate classes to one day become a chef.
Zuri will spend the time between now and May, when she takes the exam, preparing for the important test. With the assistance of Fabiola and an ever increasing family support system, Zuri looks forward to taking next steps towards her future. She will also be approaching a former local volunteer with Back2Back Cancun. A trained chef and restaurant owner, Daniele Müller, will hopefully be a helpful guide for Zuri as she pursues her dreams, both in and out of the kitchen.