Don Diego Pinzón’s voice is cut off. He tries to speak, but emotion gets the better of him. It is the kind of silence that says it all. In front of him, his son, Juandiego, barely 16 years old, has achieved something that does not fit in a single word, in a single gesture, in a single embrace: he has achieved a perfect score in the ICFES tests: 500/500 and with that, he has secured his admission to a career in medicine at the Universidad Industrial de Santander, UIS, his most cherished dream.
“He knew what he wanted for his life,” says Don Diego as he recalls the moment when everything changed: “It was about ten o’clock at night. Juandiego came running in with his cell phone in his hand. He put in his credentials, we waited a few seconds and when we saw the result we hugged each other and cried. We couldn’t do anything else. It was very emotional. It was undoubtedly one of those nights that will be remembered forever because behind that perfect result, there are hundreds of early mornings, hundreds of pages reviewed, hundreds of times in which willpower won over fatigue.
Juandiego Pinzón Villalba is not just any student. Since January, he prepared intensively: ten hours a day, every day, without a break, with additional sessions at night. He started studying at 4:30 a.m. and only stopped at 6:30 p.m. All for one reason: he wanted to enter the UIS, the university that has been in his heart for as long as he can remember.
His love for the UIS is not feigned. You can see it in his eyes, in his voice, in the genuine emotion with which he tells his story: “I always wanted to study here. It is a source of pride for any Santander native,” he says confidently. He had tried before, but it was not enough to get into Medicine. However, he did not give up. He went back to study, demanded even more, corrected the shortcomings he detected in his first test, and tried again. This time, he succeeded. Although he was certain he would do well, he confesses that he never imagined he would achieve a perfect score. “I didn’t doubt my abilities, but to be blown away is an understatement. It was a result that surpassed everything,” he said.
Despite having everything to do so, Juandiego does not boast. He prefers to talk about the future, about service, about dreams to be fulfilled. “I would like to be a helpful person, who supports everyone no matter who they are. I want to contribute from my profession in an integral way,” he says. And really, it’s easy to believe him. “I’m very grateful to my parents for all the support. I feel proud of them because it’s also their achievement.”
Don Diego listens to him and nods with glazed or watery eyes, as we say. He remembers when his son dreamed of becoming a soccer player: “we instilled in him academic habits and one day he told us that he wanted to be a doctor, but not just any university, he wanted to graduate from UIS”, he says proudly.
A number changed Juandiego’s life and he stood up and inspired millions of young people. His message to them is clear: “If you have a goal, strive to achieve it. Discipline and focus make the difference”. His goal is not a 500 out of 500. His goal now is a new door opening. Welcome to UIS Juandiego!
