It all began in April 1999, when a boy was born in the beautiful capital of Paraguay, Asunción. Little did they know that this boy would grow up to change others’ lives for the better. Now, 25 years later, I’m still doing it. I’m Hector Lopez, and I’m here to tell you a bit about my story.
Since I was a kid, I loved art in all its forms. Despite being a shy child, I danced at school festivals, spoke in front of the whole school, and was interested in various instruments. At the age of 10, I got my first guitar, which sadly I don’t have anymore, but it was there for my best moments. I studied the basics for a year, but I’ve always been a self-taught person, so 90% of the skills I acquired over time were due to my passion and dedication to learning something I love. I can add languages to that list of achievements – English and Portuguese have been with me since I was very young. Fun fact: my native language is not only Spanish, but it’s also Guaraní.
In 2013, my journey into the world began. Thanks to folk dance, I had the opportunity to travel to different European countries (Italy, Switzerland, and Spain) to represent my country in international dance festivals. These festivals were so rich in culture that I didn’t know where to start. I met people from Mexico, Russia, Colombia, the Czech Republic, and many locals who helped me explore the world.
Until 2017, I had a similar but different experience. I was hired by a summer camp for boys in Medford, New Jersey. At just 18, I embarked on this new adventure alone. My experience with the United States had been on the East Coast, so what awaits this year is new and exciting.
In this experience, I wasn’t just a camp counselor; I also taught guitar and soccer. I learned new activities like canoeing, archery, and a game called 9square and a lot of fun activities I never thought I would do normally. In the color war week, the red team won after two years of not winning, with me coaching the soccer team.
After my second year as a camp counselor, I wanted to continue changing lives and helping where I excel – teaching children. That’s why I joined an NGO called “Club Escuela Solidaria” (Solidarity School Club) dedicated to teaching children with limited resources using recycled materials and instruments. If you want to learn more about Paraguay and music with recycled materials, look up Orquesta de Instrumentos Reciclados de Cateura.
Due to my performance and enthusiasm, I quickly went from being a volunteer to the music area coordinator, holding that position for a year and a half. The only thing that could stop our eagerness to teach was the pandemic.
In 2020, during the COVID lockdown, I started studying audiovisual communication. With my friends, we began making short films, photo sessions, and learned about editing and production. Together, we have more than six short films. This time of pandemic taught me to appreciate what we have and take care of the world we live in.
I spent 2021 and 2022 learning about cameras, techniques, writing scripts, composing songs, and exploring musical genres until I fell in love with rap and improvisation. Currently, I continue freestyling and keep up with most Latin American competitions. I also dedicated this time to my little brother Mauricio, with whom I spend a lot of time playing and learning. He already knows the alphabet in English and Russian, besides the Spanish one and he’s only 5 years old! Here’s a picture of my brother in a seahorse costume.
My last notable experience was in 2023 when I had the opportunity to work on a big film production. The TV series “Marilina: Dare to Dream” tells the biographical story of a singer who grew up with limited resources and became a cumbia queen in Paraguay. As an assistant director, I spent most of my time with the children on set, playing with them, getting to know them, and practicing their scenes and lines before recording.
This experience made me decide to return to the path I had forgotten for a while – changing the world through children. That’s why I applied one last time to this program, to give my all so that the campers have the best possible experience and can make a positive change in their lives.
After this experience, I plan to travel to Europe, revisit places I’ve been, and explore new ones. I want to study a field related to art and improve my English. This is the first step in a new journey for me, and I’m grateful that Camp Augusta is my home during this time.
P.S.: The greatest love I feel is for animals, specifically cats and dogs. I have several pets, and they are the best thing that happened to me. I’ll share some pictures of them for you to appreciate as much as I do. 😊
