For this week’s Hero, we’re celebrating one of our own. Blogger Kyle Hepp, who writes about the joys and challenges of trying to live green in Chile, is doing something very special, and we’re delighted to share it with you. Kyle’s husband works in construction. His friend and co-worker Marcelo is a hard worker, smart and ambitious. But because of the circumstances in his life — not being born wealthy, and having to help his family pay for necessities — he never had a chance to get a degree. He’s always tried to save enough to pay for school, but as so many of us know, sometimes the only way to make your dreams come true is with a little help. Because Kyle’s been lucky enough to receive that help more than once in her life, she and her husband decided to return the cosmic favor by helping Marcelo. They are paying for his tuition!
In terms of US dollars, an education in Chile in very affordable, less than $200 a month, plus a $90 matriculation fee each semester. But to Marcelo, this is getting the moon and the stars. Starting in March of 2009, he’ll be attending night school Monday through Friday for the next two and half years. The only “condition” is that he remain dedicated to his studies. And when he graduates, he’ll be able to quadruple his earning power, which will utterly change the course of his life. This is a generous thing to do, and we think it’s especially heroic because Kyle and her husband are far from rich themselves. In addition to writing here at Tonic, the industrious Kyle writes for several other sites, is a photographer and manages a mystery shopping company. You’ve seen some of Kyle’s dramatic and gorgeous photos illustrating her posts here on Tonic. Between October 6th through November 6th, Kyle is dedicating all of the proceeds from her print photography sales (including the very cool packs of postcards that are just $15) to the Marcelo education fund. That means everyone who makes a purchase is part of this wonderful effort. We’re very proud to have Kyle as part of the Tonic family, and applaud her effort to make a difference in such a personal and impactful way. She’s our favorite local and international hero!