Hola Opportunity

Paige Ferrell Sanchez ’15 ’17 was profoundly influenced by her older brother, Paden, who has autism. Her life purpose emerged when she was 7 years old. “I remember that Paden didn’t talk; he only used a few sounds,” said the Tyler, Texas, native. “There were days when I’d be the only one who could calm him down or help him take medications.”

That calling was reinforced when Sanchez was a teenager and worked with children with Down syndrome. “I’ve always had a connection with people with disabilities,” she said, noting that these experiences prompted her to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education from Texas A&M University’s College of Education and Human Development.

Sanchez’s life direction gelled even more when she joined a church trip to Nicaragua as a college sophomore. “I fell in love with the country and just knew I wanted to go back there, even though I didn’t speak Spanish at the time,” she said.

On a subsequent trip to Central America’s poorest nation, the Aggie met four-year-old Jose, who was nonverbal. Sanchez learned that Nicaraguan families are often ashamed of children who have learning disabilities and keep them home instead of seeking help or sending them to school. Also, many educators are untrained in working with these students.

Jose’s plight fueled Sanchez’s studies. “That little boy was on my mind the entire school year,” she said. “I was already planning to return the next summer to help him.”

When Sanchez returned to Nicaragua, she assisted Jose three times weekly during her 10-week visit. Her intensive support helped the boy make significant progress to the point where his family enrolled him in school.

Jose’s success story illustrated how well Sanchez’s undergraduate degree had prepared her to teach individuals with various special needs using research-based approaches and inclusive classroom models. Later, graduate coursework taught Sanchez how to offer individualized services to people with autism spectrum disorder. “I decided to pursue a master’s degree because I wanted to have the tools necessary to begin a special education program from nothing and run it alone,” she said. “I also wanted to learn more about the field of applied behavior analysis and become a board-certified behavior analyst.”

Realizing the nation’s deep need, she moved to Nicaragua after completing her master’s degree and founded Piece of Hope, which provides free individualized therapy weekly to students through early intervention, outreach to pre-schools and primary schools, and vocational and speech therapy programs. The nonprofit launched in 2018 and served 15 children by the end of the school year. Two years later, that number climbed to 38. Sanchez proudly noted that in its brief history, Piece of Hope has already assisted more than 50 individuals with special needs.

Piece of Hope is also changing perceptions about individuals with learning disabilities. “Local teachers and other students are learning what it means to know someone with a disability and be friends with them,” Sanchez said. “We’re trying to teach surrounding communities to accept people with disabilities and work together to help these individuals lead independent lives.” 

Make a Donation: Ready to support other Aggies in special education far and wide? Consider assisting other students like Paige through a gift of any size to the Educational Psychology Excellence Fund at give.am/EducationalPsychology.

About Paige Ferrell Sanchez '15 '17

Paige Ferrell Sanchez ’15 ’17 (right) always dreamed of following her parents—Michelle ’87 and Kevin Ferrell ’87—to Texas A&M, but never considered becoming an expatriate until Nicaragua captured her heart. Upon arrival, the Aggie quickly adapted to the Nicaraguan lifestyle, including a school year that spans February to November. Now, Sanchez has firmly planted roots in Nicaragua, including marrying Juan Carlos, a Nicaraguan doctor, and working to expand Piece of Hope’s vocational program to help students learn life skills that foster independence.