Brayan headshot

Brayan Antony Gudiel Yoj

Class of 2026, Guatemala

Brayan Antony Gudiel Yoj

Brayan comes from Alta Verapaz, where he lives with his parents and 4-year-old sister. Though his father and mother have no basic education, they have always supported Brayan in his studies. Brayan's family identifies with the Q'eqchi' community, so they speak Spanish and Q'eqchi'.

Brayan's grandparents were small-scale corn farmers, so Brayan grew up planting and working with the land. He loves nature and believes that we should take care of its resources and avoid damaging the environment. Brayan is also interested in studying agronomy because agriculture is the most important economic sector in the country.

Brayan learned about EARTH from his brother. He applied for admission in 2020, however, at that time there were no scholarships available for his region. Finally, when he applies again in 2022, he was admitted and got a full scholarship from AGROBECA/FONAGRO.

It was a moment of great happiness. It is something I have fought very hard for. My parents are very grateful and honored by this scholarship. There is no other way I could have studied in a university as prestigious as EARTH.”

Currently in his first year, Brayan has adapted very well to the EARTH campus in Costa Rica. He enjoys the multiculturalism on campus, with classmates from more than 36 countries. He is completing courses such as Tropical Crops, Natural Resource Management, Mathematics, Computers, Communication and Leadership, and Work Experience at EARTH's Integrated Organic Farm. As part of his professional training, Brayan is founding his own company with colleagues from Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nigeria. His company will produce and sell cattle, and Brayan will be the financial manager. In addition, he plays sports regularly and is in the weightlifting, soccer, and swimming clubs.

As part of his future goals, Brayan wants to help farmers receive better technical training. “They have little access to education and basic services. I would like to work with them on knowledge transfer and preserving their native customs.” His interest is in the production of coffee, cardamom, and cocoa. In the future, he would like to pursue a master's degree in precision agriculture.

To my AGROBECA/FONAGRO donors, I want to thank you most sincerely. I am very happy to have the opportunity to learn and bring this knowledge back to Guatemala. You have really changed my life and for that thank you very much!”