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This is the transformative power of education, family, and friendship: #StoriesThatInspire
To begin this story, it is important to mention that the Comprehensive Coverage Plan (PIC) is a national government initiative aimed at expanding access to higher education, increasing university slots by 500,000 during the current Colombian administration. In this context, the University of Cauca has implemented various strategies not only to increase enrollment but also to strengthen the academic and socio-emotional skills of applicants, a very enriching process that fills us with pride, as there are many stories to share.
In the first semester of 2024, the University expanded its coverage by 370 slots, reaching a total of 1,940 new students, a result partly attributable to the Immediate Transition to Higher Education Program (PTIES). This program facilitated academic leveling in the municipality of Guapi, allowing more young people to access higher education. Simultaneously, in municipalities such as López de Micay and Timbiquí, the program “Learn Without Stress, Teach With Love” was carried out, enabling 54 students to enter the university in the first semester of 2024. Additionally, the expanded coverage also benefited students who applied for admission to the University of Cauca.
On this topic, Dr. Aída Patricia González Nieva, Academic Vice-Rector of our Alma Mater, notes:
“The differential admission process at the University of Cauca allows us to eliminate obstacles and barriers faced by young people from remote territories, such as gaps in primary and secondary education and an environment that often does not view education as a path forward. Through leveling modules in mathematics, English, reading, and writing, this process provides them with the necessary tools to strengthen their skills and knowledge, thereby reducing gaps that hinder access to the university. Additionally, it contributes to the improvement of teaching in schools, leaving a lasting capacity to generate an impact in the short, medium, and long term.”
As if the above were not enough, our Alma Mater also signed agreements with eight municipalities in Cauca; these agreements enabled the training of 685 students and offered 254 university slots, of which 94 were admitted in the first semester of 2025. These actions not only expand educational coverage but also strengthen secondary education and provide support to students and teachers, promoting more equitable and effective access to higher education. However, behind these numbers, there are inspiring stories that deserve to be told firsthand. So, how about we focus on one experience that shows the transformative power of education, family, and friendship?
Karen Liseth Riascos Caicedo always had a clear dream: to become a doctor to help others and change her life and that of her family. Born in López de Micay, a municipality in Cauca surrounded by the lush Colombian Pacific jungle, she grew up in an environment where higher education was a privilege few could access. Her family, mainly dedicated to mining and other trades, supported her with love but without the resources or references to imagine an academic future.
“Aside from saving lives, there was another reason: to improve myself, because almost no one in my family studied beyond high school. Perhaps not because they couldn’t, but rather because they did not have the mindset to advance. In Afro-descendant communities, studying for a professional career requires great effort; it is very costly, and leaving our hometown to go to a city where we know no one is difficult. Additionally, there is racism, and leaving our lands to go somewhere new is complicated,” Karen recalled, moved, reflecting on that particular moment.
Regarding this situation, Álvaro René Restrepo Garcés, director of the Center for Regionalization at the University of Cauca, explains:
“The educational level of family members and an environment that offers illegal economic alternatives, which spark ambition by providing immediate resources compared to the years that education requires, are factors that hinder access to and permanence in higher education. It is not only about academic competencies in basic areas but also about breaking cultural dynamics that limit young people’s vision of higher education, whether university, technical, or technological.”
However, this did not stop Karen Liseth from pursuing her dream, a dream that came closer when a group of professors from the University of Cauca visited her school, Pablo VI Educational Institution in López de Micay. For three months, she and her classmates received training in various areas to prepare for the university entrance exams. For the Medicine program, there was only one available slot, and Karen Liseth decided to give her all to secure it. Through hard work and dedication, she achieved the necessary score and earned her place at Unicauca. It was a tremendous victory, but it came with devastating news: the same day she received her admission letter, she was also informed that her grandmother, Elizabeth, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Joy mixed with pain and uncertainty, as she did not want to leave her grandmother during such a difficult time.
Her grandmother, whom she affectionately calls “mom”, encouraged her to move forward: “We will take care of things here; you must go study,” she said firmly. With a divided heart, Karen Liseth moved to Popayán and began her university journey. However, adapting was not easy. The academic level was demanding, and the lack of a strong foundation made her feel at a disadvantage. Despite the financial support provided through the differential admission process, being far from her family and constantly thinking about her grandmother’s illness made her first semester both an emotional and academic challenge.
However, in the midst of this challenging time, Andrés Melenje, a classmate, appeared. He noticed her effort and determination and said one day, “You are very smart, Liseth. You’re just overwhelmed. You need to give yourself time to adapt.” Andrés, one of the top students in the course, decided to accompany her through this process. Patiently, he explained topics clearly, and they spent long hours studying together. Thanks to his support, Karen Liseth began to improve her grades and, even more importantly, to regain confidence in herself.
Her friendship with Andrés and with Catalina Patiño, who later became her “Facu friend”, as she calls her, along with the unconditional support of her family, motivated her not to give up on her profound goal: to become a professional! “In the second semester, I still had some difficulties, but I felt much more supported by my classmates. Today, I already have friends and little groups, so everything is easier,” Karen Liseth recalls with relief.
Although starting university had been a solitary challenge, over time she found support in her friends, who have been present during the most difficult moments, explaining topics and sharing time together. Their presence became a fundamental pillar for her to keep moving forward. Passing the second semester was a tremendous achievement, a true reason to celebrate! However, her joy was soon overshadowed by the loss of her grandmother during the holidays, a blow that marked the beginning of this new cycle with a bittersweet tone… an inevitable feeling under the circumstances.
That loss left her in “stop”, a phrase she uses and although she continues to study diligently, the deep drive of having that someone as a pillar, waiting for her at the finish line, someone to make proud, is no longer there. Her family is still present, her mother, her uncles, but her greatest motivation was her grandmother, Elizabeth. Now, she is going through a process of acceptance, which is not easy. However, her grandmother, with the clarity and strength that always defined her, had prepared her for this moment: “I know I have cancer, I know that disease is one of two: it either kills me or it leaves me alive, and you have to be ready for either outcome,” she would say, and then, with the certainty of someone who loves unconditionally, she added, “If something happens, you will continue studying, you will overcome, and when you do, I will be proud of you, which, in advance, I already am.”
It was in this way that she understood that, although her grandmother is no longer physically present, she will always accompany her. She also realized that the person she truly needs to make proud is herself. In this sense, she is clear that having come this far and overcoming each obstacle is reason enough to feel satisfied, but the challenge does not end here. Her current goal is to maintain her progress and successfully complete her degree. Even so, she acknowledges that much of her drive comes from the desire to honor her grandmother’s memory and to become an excellent oncologist.
Unicauca has transformed her and opened her vision to new perspectives, so she addresses the young people who, like her, dream of entering higher education: “Try to reconsider it, to think, to visualize yourselves. Don’t just focus on the moment, because there are many jobs that pay money. So focus and pursue the goal of your life. No matter how impossible the career you want may seem, it is always possible. I never imagined myself in the Medicine program, never in my life. And it is very gratifying to make your dream come true; it is much more rewarding than sitting and doing something you don’t want or risking your life on things that aren’t worthwhile. After all, your family will always want you to work in something good, because no one will send you to do bad things, but it is better to do something for society, something that leaves a mark,” Karen Liseth said with pride.
Today, Karen continues advancing on her path as a future doctor, demonstrating that education can be a bridge to personal and collective transformation. Her story of effort, the strength of her family, and the solidarity of friendship have taught her that, despite obstacles, dreams materialize through perseverance and support. Her story is a testament to the power of education to change lives and open doors that once seemed unreachable.
Thus, the university journey is not easy, especially for those who must leave their homes in search of a better future. But beyond personal effort, education has an impact that transcends each student, transforming their families and, with them, society. For our Director of the Center for Regionalization at this house of thought, Álvaro René Restrepo, “Every time a student arrives, we are removing one actor from the war, from illicit and informal businesses; our rector always reminds us of this. But more than that, we are promoting equity, social and economic development for people, their families, and their communities. If this commitment to education were multiplied, in the near future we would truly see transformation. Otherwise, if the gaps persist, social change will remain a distant promise.”
And it is precisely for this reason that Dr. Aída Patricia González Nieva addresses the students who entered this house of thought through the differential admission processes: “To those who are already part of the university community, I want to say: continue until the end, do not give up on your life project, on your goal of graduating, but above all, on forming yourselves at a high level so you can return to your territory and transform your lives with new ideas, knowledge, study, and education. It is not through other means, because if we do not educate ourselves, if we do not train ourselves, and if we do not transform ourselves, we cannot envision a change in society. So this is a greeting and an invitation to persist. And also, to those who have not yet entered, insist and do not lose hope. The opportunity is there, and it is up to you to seek it and make the most of it.”
Finally, the University of Cauca reaffirms its commitment to continue facilitating access to higher education, public and of high quality for more young people from Cauca, the region, and the country. We are filled with pride and deeply moved to share stories of perseverance like Karen Liseth’s; narratives that remind us of the importance of welcoming with care those who come from other territories in search of a dream. “Outsiders,” as the term has been lovingly redefined, are fellow students who leave behind their homes and loved ones to start here, in this nearly bicentennial institution, another possible future. The invitation is to kindness, to extend a hand whenever we can, to offer support without asking too many questions, because often we do not know the battles faced by those far from home. This house, which is #HeritageOfAll, must be a safe refuge, a territory of peace where each person finds what they need to reach their full potential. And that is only possible through love and empathy.
Writing: Communications Management Center
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Institution with High Quality Accreditation for 8 years, resolution MEN 6218 of 2019 - Vigilada MinEducación
La octava versión del Ranking Art-Sapiens, de la organización colombiana Sapiens Research, analizó 362 Instituciones de Educación Superior (IES), dentro de las cuales, bajo el cumplimiento de unos criterios específicos de exclusión se lograron clasificar 245. El periodo de tiempo empleado para dicha clasificación, abarcó la producción de artículos publicados entre enero y diciembre del año 2021 por los grupos de investigación de las IES clasificadas en las categorías A1, A, B y C según reportes de los GrupLAC institucionales.Art Sapiens realiza una medición global del desempeño basado en cinco criterios que compartimos a continuación:
1. Artículos publicados en Colombia (revistas colombianas). Peso asignado: 10%
2. Artículos publicados en el exterior (revistas del exterior). Peso asignado: 30%
3. Artículos publicados en español. Peso asignado: 10%
4. Artículos publicados en inglés. Peso asignado 30%
5. Países donde se publican dichos artículos. Peso asignado 20%