Laureate Impact

For Naomi Tarazona, a first-generation student at Universidad Privada del Norte (UPN) in Peru, education is not just a personal achievement – it is a powerful tool for social change. Growing up in a family facing economic hardship, Naomi’s early mornings helping her mother sell breakfast from a street cart shaped her determination and fueled her drive to pursue higher education.

Naomi’s path to university was not easy, but her resilience and ambition have been unstoppable. “Thanks to Laureate, I’ve become the first in my family to attend university,” Naomi says. “This is not just transforming my future – it’s creating new opportunities for my parents and sister, and inspiring a new generation to dream bigger.”

At UPN, Naomi discovered her passion for Industrial Design, and academic success quickly followed. She chose UPN as her academic home after discovering the field through a chance video. There, she thrived – becoming an award-winning innovator with 14 patents to date – and channeled her creativity to solve real-world problems. Her thesis, developed as part of UPN’s GIADIPS research group, focuses on creating an innovative cleaning tool for street vendors like her mother. The tool addresses the unique hygiene challenges mobile food vendors face, improving safety and efficiency in their workspaces.

Naomi’s ingenuity has not gone unnoticed – she gained international recognition at the prestigious iCAN Innovations and Inventors event in Canada, where she was awarded gold medals for her designs. The event celebrates groundbreaking inventions and creative solutions from around the world.

Despite balancing her academic responsibilities with helping her mother and caring for her younger sister, Naomi’s determination never wavers. Her story exemplifies how first-generation students can use education to break cycles of poverty and create lasting change for their families and communities.

Her success is a powerful example of how education drives social and economic mobility. Naomi is not only transforming her own future – she is inspiring others in her community to pursue their dreams. Her journey, from selling food from a street cart to becoming an award-winning inventor, underscores the life-changing impact of education.