Ingrid Rivas

Ingrid was determined to become a teacher for disabled kids and she made it happen. She was born with glaucoma that left her totally blind by age 12. We provided her with stipends for her university studies – 12 months a year – in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, while she was nearing completion of her degree, she told the Patronato that she would not need our support because she had gotten a one-year appointment at the Helen Keller School for the Blind. That's where Bud Keith worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Ingrid continued to work on her degree at night, graduating in 2015. She was transferred to Darien Province for two years and then back to the Helen Keller School. That job enabled her to get a mortgage. The photo shows her in her new home.