Despite being born in the less privileged community of São Vicente, in Brazil, Cláudio Franco never stopped in his pursuit of education. As a teenager, he was offered, and accepted, an opportunity to finish high school in the United States after going there to visit a close friend. The journey to sustain a life abroad by himself was extremely challenging and unpredictable, however, the persistence he developed was critical for his survival. Today, with this same determination, he strives to help provide education not only for himself, but also for others who come from less fortunate backgrounds.
After finishing high school in the USA, he received a full ride scholarship to study at Michigan State. However, due to visa problems, he had no choice but to leave the country, proceeding to work on a ship that traveled around the Mediterranean. After eleven months, he applied to the Royal Conservatory of Brussels where he majored in music. He would study during the mornings, work in the afternoon, and play music at night in bars around town. Music has always been one of Claudio’s greatest passions, playing a pivotal role in helping him endure challenging moments throughout his journey.
In his early thirties, he was invited to study in Azerbaijan after doing an impressive project about the country, becoming the first Brazilian to receive formal education and graduate there. He was also one of the pioneers of the Baku Latin Festival, the first Latin musical event in the country. Claudio always believed that the place where one is born will never determine the lenghts that one can reach and he has most definitely applied this philosophy to his own life.
Currently, he has an ice cream franchise that spreads across the city of Rio, is a song composer, and an English teacher at Rocinha Community School. No matter how arduous it may be, he always incentivizes the children, and himself, to read books and seek knowledge, trusting that life is reliant on how much you read and learn. However, some of the main problems that he and the school are currently facing are the lack of external investments and community engagement. Although the environment in which the children live is certainly a factor to consider, Claudio has shared that, in reality, it is a normality that imposes very few dangers in the lives of its habitants. It rather involves difficulties in locomotion due to problems like drug traffic and self-motivation to attend the classes.
In spite of the difficulties Claudio has faced throughout his life, it can be observed that he tacitly exemplifies the values and impact that quality education can bring to one’s lives. His achievements majorly reflect the amount of perseverance, determination and boldness that he’s always had. At school, and in any environment where he is given the opportunity to, Claudio expresses the importance of learning English in the modern world and of having discipline to continuously work on yourself. Ultimately, Claudio’s journey inspires us to strive for our dreams and goals, even when all odds seem to be against us.
