Desire to Learn Fosters Successful Non-Profit

Roger says, “The most beautiful thing was when I first wrote my name.”

Roger grew up in extreme poverty stricken Nicaragua.

Roger recalls, “There is no electricity and there is no running water. And when I was there, there was no school.”

His father abandoned the family when he was just 6 months old. As a young boy, Roger took on odd jobs to help support his family.

Roger shares, “I started working in the farm when I was six years old. And I have like a half acres of land to be able to provide.”

Roger was eager to learn, so at nine he attended school for the first time. He didn’t complain about the 2 ½ hour walk to school through the mountains or the rivers he had to swim through to get to school.

Roger says, “I didn’t even know how to write my name or the vowels. God gave me the ability to learn fast."

Roger loved learning so much he left home to continue his education in high school. After three years there, he met Virginia state representative Scott Rigell who had come to Nicaragua on a missions trip.

Roger remembers, “He was trying to talk to me, but I didn’t know English and he didn’t know Spanish. I would just smile and somehow we connected.”

Scott sponsored Roger to move to Virginia Beach and enrolled him at a university in Virginia to study English as a second language. In his senior year he met his wife Mary Blake.

Roger says, “I’m just blessed to be able to have a wonderful family.”

After he graduated with his bachelors in international business and finance he took another step of faith and enrolled in Regent University’s school of business and leadership to pursue his MBA.

Roger shares, “I had a family. We were like the students, the professors, the connections and the academics was challenging. You are honoring God with what you’re learning. And then from there you are applying what you are learning in the real world.”

Roger created a non-profit called, “Just One Opportunity,” to help the people of Nicaragua.

Roger says, “Our vision is to break the cycle of poverty. First we do it through evangelism and second education.”

Roger graduated with special honors in 2015.

Roger shares, “Without God, my wife and the professors that came along side of me I wouldn’t have gotten that outstanding MBA award.”

Today, Roger serves on Regent University’s advisory board and has partnered with Operation Blessing to help him provide solar panels and water purification systems for the people of Nicaragua. Through, “Just One Opportunity,” he built a training center to provide everyone in his village a brighter future.

Roger says, “Today we have 25 high school students that we sponsored from those remote villages, and we have 13 college students that we also sponsor for them to go to school. Just this year we provided 120 uniforms, shoes, backpacks and notebooks for the students.”

Roger is grateful for the education he received at Regent University and how it equipped him to help the people of Nicaragua have a better life by breaking the cycle of poverty.

Roger shares, “Regent really helped me to equip me to help in a way that I never thought I was able to do it. With God you can make a lasting impact changing the world. They prepare you for that.”