FOUNDER’S LETTER

Welcome to Closer to the Stars Foundation.

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For many years, there has been a thought that has deeply moved me: somewhere in the world, a child may carry extraordinary potential and still never be given the opportunity to discover it.

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That thought has never left me.

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Because I do not believe talent is limited by geography, resources, or circumstance.

I believe potential exists everywhere. What is not equally distributed is access. And when access is missing, opportunities often become smaller too.

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Closer to the Stars Foundation was born from one of the most transformative experiences of my life: producing a documentary in a remote community marked by limited access, significant challenges, and difficult realities. But it was also a place filled with extraordinary resilience, a community determined not to give up, students who continued moving forward even when the road ahead felt uncertain, and an educator who chose to believe in potential that had not yet been recognized.

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It was there that I understood, even more deeply, the true power of opportunity.

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I have witnessed the transformation that happens when a young person is simply given the chance to believe their future can become greater than the environment surrounding them. Sometimes, everything begins with one opportunity, one mentor, one classroom, one experience, or one person willing to believe in them.

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That is why this foundation exists.

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To open doors where they have remained closed.
To create opportunities where they have been absent.
To advance innovative and accessible education aligned with the challenges, technologies, and opportunities of both the present and the future.
And to help new generations see themselves not through the limitations they inherited, but through the possibilities that lie ahead of them.

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At its core, this work is not only about education.

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It is about dignity.
It is about expansion, elevation, and purpose.
It is about fostering peace through education.
And it is about reminding young people that their lives matter, their voices matter, and their future matters.

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The spirit behind this foundation is deeply inspired by exploration, by the human desire to look beyond what is known and imagine something greater. Just as humanity once looked toward the stars and expanded what was possible, we believe every child and young person deserves the opportunity to expand their horizons, strengthen their communities, and help shape the future of entire nations through knowledge and courage.

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I have seen how education transforms the way a person sees the world, and how they see themselves within it. And it is from that place that we choose to take action and invite others to do the same, leaving behind a legacy of evolution, transformation, and hope for future generations.

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With gratitude, hope, and purpose,

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Gabby Baptista
Founder & CEO
Closer to the Stars Foundation