Hilda Pacheco-Taylor founded the Corazon de Vida (which means ‘heart of life’) Foundation as her project in Landmark’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program in 1994. She had spent much of her childhood in an orphanage – she created the foundation to provide life sustaining support to orphan and abandoned children living in orphanages in Baja, Mexico, which it now has been doing for over 25 years.

It currently spends more than $1 million a year to support more than 500 children living in 10 Corazon de Vida orphanages located in Tijuana and Ensenada. In 2011, the foundation started providing support to the teens that were aging out of the orphanage system so that they could continue their education. The focus is to end the cycle of poverty and abandonment, and Hilda and Corazon de Vida believe that education provides our kids with an opportunity for a better future for themselves and their families. The program started with 3 students who entered university in August of 2011. As of today, over 60 students have entered the program and 20 have graduated, most with a bachelor’s degree and 2-3 with a technical degree. Those that have graduated are employed earning good wages within 3 months of graduation.

Watch the Corazon de Vida story on ABC below, and visit the Corazon de Vida website to get involved.