The path into education for the former Guatemalan Minister of Education was practical, not planned.
Cynthia grew up in Guatemala, moving between Guatemala City and the rural south coast where her father managed a farm. When her mother became concerned about the quality of schooling available outside the city, the family returned to Guatemala City so the children could access stronger educational opportunities. That early experience—seeing how geography shapes access to education—stayed with her.
As a young woman, Cynthia did not dream of becoming a teacher. She wanted to travel and learn languages. But in Guatemala at the time, teaching was one of the few professions that allowed an 18-year-old to graduate and immediately enter the workforce. It was stable. It allowed her to start earning an income. So she chose it.
What began as a practical decision became a lifelong commitment.
At the American School in Guatemala City, she joined a teacher-in-training program that exposed her to structured curriculum design and stronger models of teacher preparation. She worked alongside North American educators and taught herself English, often keeping a dictionary on her lap during meetings.
After more than a decade in the classroom, Cynthia transitioned into education policy when her daughter was born. She joined ASIES, a respected Guatemalan think tank, where she worked as a researcher focused on math and science education. From there, she was invited into the Ministry of Education as a consultant, eventually serving as Vice Minister.
Following her time in government, she joined a USAID-funded initiative called Alianzas, implemented by RTI International. The goal of Alianzas was to strengthen health, nutrition, and education in several countries in Central America. She was appointed to manage the education area in Guatemala by mobilizing private-sector investment to match U.S. government funding.
The target was ambitious: raise two private dollars for every one dollar invested by USAID.
Cynthia was skeptical at first. But the results exceeded expectations. Under the initiative, they mobilized three dollars in Guatemalan private-sector investment for every one U.S. dollar invested in education.
The work revealed something powerful: many Guatemalan foundations and companies were already investing in education locally. The challenge was aligning and expanding those investments strategically. The result was a model of shared responsibility—international donors and local leaders investing together in Guatemala’s public education system.
It was through Alianzas that Cynthia first met Kate Curran. School the World was one of the organizations that applied for and received a grant through the program. Cynthia visited project sites in Quiché and saw firsthand the organization’s work in rural communities. That professional collaboration marked the beginning of a long-term relationship.
In 2012, after years of experience as a teacher, researcher, consultant, Vice Minister, and USAID project leader, Cynthia was invited to serve as Guatemala’s Minister of Education. She was recommended by five different institutions and, despite not belonging to the president’s political party, was appointed to lead the ministry.
During her tenure, she focused on improving teacher preparation, strengthening accountability, and expanding access to quality learning materials.
When asked what she is most proud of from that time, her answer is immediate: distributing 10 million books to public schools across Guatemala.
Students in many rural schools had little to no access to quality reading materials. The books available were often outdated, black and white, and limited in scope. Under her leadership, the Ministry curated collections of high-quality, full-color books—more than 130 different titles—spanning from pre-primary through high school. The selections were intentional, evaluated for both content and visual quality.
The Ministry could not do this alone. With more than 30,000 schools nationwide, Cynthia invited nonprofit organizations already working in communities—including School the World—to help expand the reach of the initiative. It was a national effort built through partnership.
For her, that literacy effort remains deeply personal. Expanding access to books was not a symbolic gesture. It was a tangible investment opening windows to the world for children.
Today, Cynthia continues her work in education through her role at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), where she contributes to research, policy dialogue, and ongoing efforts to strengthen Guatemala’s education system. Through the university and its affiliated initiatives, she remains deeply engaged in advancing quality and accountability in public education.
Cynthia brings three essential strengths to School the World:
First, she is deeply passionate about education—not only as a moral imperative, but as a system that must function effectively from early childhood through secondary school.
Second, she understands Guatemala’s education system from inside it. She has worked as a teacher, policy advisor, think tank participant, Associate Minister, and Minister. That perspective allows her to assess both what is possible and what is practical.
And third, she has seen the impact of School the World’s programs. She values the organization’s five-year community partnerships, its co-investment model with municipalities, its focus on teacher training and literacy, and its commitment to empowering parents as partners in their children’s education.
She believes in scaling impact—but doing so responsibly, in alignment with public systems and local leadership.
Her journey into education may have been unexpected. Her commitment to strengthening it has not.
And today, that experience helps guide School the World as we continue to expand access to quality education through partnership, shared investment, and long-term commitment.