Abigail Hernandez Potoy, Hermana Mayor, NPH Nicaragua

Speech from Fiesta en Familia
November 8, 2025 – Block 41 – Seattle, Washington

Hi everyone, I’m Abigail Hernandez, and I’m from Nicaragua. I’m honored to be here today to share how NPH changed my life, not only mine but my whole family.

I come from a small family of four. I arrived at NPH when I was only 13 years old. My biggest dream was always to go to college. I vividly remember crying every night at NPH because I missed my family so much. But deep down, I knew that going back home meant no school, and no chance to follow my dreams.

As time passed, NPH became much more than just a place to study, it became my home. A place where I had friends, food, shelter, education, and safety. It was a space where I could truly focus on learning.

Being at NPH also helped me see my family’s situation from a new perspective. My family had always struggled with economic difficulties. I blamed them for not supporting my dreams of going to college. I came to understand that they, too, had grown up in poverty. Their parents never prioritized education because they didn’t have the resources. It was a cycle that kept repeating.

I realized that sometimes the chain isn’t just economic — it’s also mental. They had grown up with a mindset that education wasn’t even a possibility, and that mindset became a limitation. Whenever I shared my dream of going to college with my parents, the answer was always; We can’t afford it.” Hearing that over and over again was heartbreaking. I often found myself wondering, “Why not me? Why can’t I go?

But everything started to change when I found NPH. through a two-year English scholarship, funded by the United States but held at NPH, I discovered just how many opportunities were within my reach. That experience strengthened my determination to make the most of everything NPH offered, so I decided to stay at NPH to finish my high school. You can see the Pictures of my high-school and my English scholarship grad.

After high school, I completed my year of service — a time meant to prepare us for real-world jobs and responsibilities. I was 18 years old, and together with my best friend, Xochilth, who shared the same dream of going to college, we stayed motivated and kept pushing forward.
After completing my year of service at the NPH Visitor’s House in 2013, I began college in 2014, and thanks to NPH’s financial support, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Tourism in 2018, when I was 23 years old.

A year before leaving NPH, I heard about the Seattle Institute program, which brings young people from NPH homes to Seattle for 10 months to study English in the Seattle Central College, and leadership. I thought, “I should apply — I have nothing to lose,” and I knew it was a great opportunity.

I was part of the 2019–2020 graduating class. During the program, I not only learned English and leadership skills but also gained independence, experienced new cultures, tasted different foods, explored new places, and grew academically. It was a life-changing experience in every way.

There were moments when I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that that little girl from Nicaragua was studying alongside peers from all continents, in a different country.

For that year, I lived with a beautiful host family, the Fonseca family, who treated me like a daughter from day one.

But life, as we know, comes with its surprises. During my time in Seattle, I found out that my mother had been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. As the oldest child, I felt a strong responsibility to return home and help my family — just as I had always dreamed of doing. I finished the leadership program and returned to Nicaragua.

I returned to Nicaragua with valuable skills. Thanks to these new skills I found a job as a bilingual customer service rep, putting my English to use while supporting my family—especially my mother during her difficult cancer treatment.

Since we live on an island several hours from the city, I was able to afford an apartment there so my mom could receive proper medical care, which wasn’t available on the island.

By the grace of God, today she is a cancer survivor. Her cancer is in remission.

The next year, when my younger brother finished high school, I was ready to support him in any way. However, I wanted him to understand the value of opportunity. I told him, “I can help you financially so you can study English. Once you learn English, you’ll be able to find a job and pay for your own college expenses. I brought him to the city and committed myself to supporting him. Today, he works as a bilingual debt collector at a financial institution and is in his third year of college, having paid for it entirely on his own.

I don’t think I would have been able to meet my family’s needs if NPH hadn’t come into my life. NPH shaped the person I am today. I will always carry with me the principles Father Wasson taught us — love for God, dedication to work, and devotion to family.

A little later, a new opportunity came into my life — one that allowed me to move to the United States to work and continue growing personally and professionally. I arrived on May 3RD, 2023, and began looking for jobs in customer service, the field I knew best.

I got a job at SEIU 775 as a remote bilingual customer service rep. It’s been a rewarding experience helping Latino caregivers overcome language barriers and access the resources and support they need to feel empowered in their work. While building my professional life, I also started thinking about my personal dreams. I always hoped to marry someone who shared my background, my values, and my desire to grow and overcome challenges.
And really, who better than someone from NPH, So, on July 12th of this year, I married my

husband, Luis Alejandro Saballos. Now we dream together — about investing wisely, building a future, and making the most of the opportunity to be in this country.

Thanks to the generosity of those who supported NPH and me, I am here today sharing my story. I realized that your start is just a chapter, not the whole story. Today, you can be that same source of hope for other children full of dreams, just like I once was.

Your support continues to be essential, especially as NPH Nicaragua has adapted to meet new challenges. Although residential programs are still thriving in most of the countries where NPH operates, in 2020 the Nicaraguan government — through the Ministry of Family — decided that all residential care centers, including NPH, should begin reuniting children with their families.

NPH — like many other organizations that cared for children at risk — had to transform its model. Instead of providing residential care, we began focusing on community-based programs, supporting children and youth through education, vocational training, scholarships, and family strengthening.

I want to close by expressing my deepest gratitude to all of you who took time out of your day to be here, and especially to those who have supported NPH—whether through your prayers, contributions, or dedicated time. Your support truly makes a difference.