The Superpower of being a Young Leader in a Community

Meet Maricielo Zamora. At a young age, she committed herself to providing accessible, high-quality education to the most disadvantaged communities in Peru. However, on her journey to becoming an agent of change, she encountered a complex obstacle: being “too young.” Yet, Maricielo discovered that this “disadvantage” is actually her superpower as a young leader.

“Youth are not the hope of tomorrow; we are the action of today.”

From a young age, even before she could read, she would mess up her father’s library and imagine fantastic stories that taught her she could achieve anything, as long as she was guided by her kind, altruistic, and articulate spirit.

Among the books, she came across the words “agent of change,” which represented the volunteer commitment to using one’s voice to create a better world. This sparked a motivational flame in her, making her believe that once she was older, after studying and finding a job, she could embark on her journey to social activism.

While Maricielo put this goal on the back burner, her relentless courage shone through every day at school as she helped others and strived to give her best in each project. During the pandemic, a teacher noticed these qualities and invited her to participate in a virtual conference. Adults placed the responsibility for Peru’s current issues on young people, and those her age, like Maricielo, responded with passion, knowledge, and seriousness to these “mature” topics, demonstrating a voluntary commitment to their country’s development through their own actions.

She hesitated to participate in the discussion, feeling insecure about the value of her contributions, but eventually, she raised her voice and felt immense pride in taking her first step towards her personal goal: improving the education of young Peruvians.

That day, Maricielo learned three fundamental lessons:

• There is no perfect moment—whether in terms of age, or academic or professional preparation—to start changing the world. The challenges of the world are not solely the responsibility of adults but also of everyone who believes in the power of change, including young people, who should not be ignored or silenced.

“There is a study that explains that 87% of young people do not feel heard or valued by those in power, which stifles their dreams and generates negative thoughts such as: I am nothing in life.”

• Youth leadership means that even if there are storms and obstacles trying to knock down our small boat, our dreams, there is a beacon of light that illuminates our true potential to act now toward our goals.

“Do it with fear.”

• We are not alone against the world. Just as those unknown individuals indirectly encouraged Maricielo to participate in the conference, young people must support each other to overcome the obstacles we may encounter along the way.

The young activist expresses that being part of the LALA family deepened these learnings. She realized the incredible potential of the organization’s youth activists and understood that both the obstacles faced and each individual’s stories positively contribute to the present and collectively advance the effort to transform our society for the future.

Maricielo also highlights that to change the world, one must first change oneself. After diving into the activist world, she became involved in four organizations simultaneously. Along with her school and personal responsibilities, she felt overwhelmed and exhausted but did not want to give up on the leadership path she was building. “I can handle everything, but not everything at once, and that’s okay.”

This doesn’t mean she is giving up on her goal, but rather that she needs to learn how to handle her own storm before tackling the world’s storms.

Finally, just as Maricielo infuses magic into her unicorn notebooks and her determination to leave a mark on Peru’s education, she reminds us of the power that comes from being young, being leaders, and being united by the common purpose of transforming the world. Rising each morning to fulfill our obligations, staying up nights to be part of something greater, or raising our voices for those who cannot, are the greatest superpowers any agent of change can possess, and Maricielo proudly uses these powers for the future she envisions for Peru.

This interview was scheduled by Ana Caroline Pereira dos Santos, written by Sofia Alexandra Benitez Colmenarez, and edited by Elizabete Fernandes. They are part of LALA’s Volunteer Media Production Team.