Democratizing access to higher education in Paraguay

Paraguay’s government offers full-tuition scholarships for undergraduate study — and every year, hundreds of them go unclaimed. Not because students don’t need them, but because the qualifying exam in math and literature sets a minimum score that most applicants, particularly those from underserved communities with underfunded schools, don’t reach.

The scholarships exist. The students exist. What’s missing is preparation.

Mathura is a regional initiative founded by a close friend that runs free Math and Literature classes for high-schoolers preparing for these exams. I joined as an instructor to help close that gap — not by lowering the bar, but by giving students a real shot at clearing it.