In October of 2007 one of our students, Orlin Murillo was one of ten students around the world to win a scholarship for the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) annual summit.
After receiving the news from NANPA Orlin started a long and arduous process of legalizing his trip to the states. He spent countless hours waiting in seemingly endless lines only to be told there was no paper, no ink, the manager wasn’t in, or my favorite “We just can’t today,” from the civil office in La Ceiba. Finally after getting his Honduran ID card in Tegucigalpa (16 hour trip) Orlin could apply for his passport in January. Once the passport was expedited he could then make an appointment with the American embassy in the capitol which was scheduled for the 20th of February, only three days before he was to leave for Florida.
With letters of support from Fotokids, Global Fund for Children, Guaruma, NANPA, and the director of USAID, Orlin, his mother, and I waited in line at the embassy for 6 hours. While inside the building we heard over the loudspeaker the practiced phrase “No, I’m sorry, your visa is not approved,” and watched the slumped shoulders and crying families shuffle slowly out the front door. We were the last ones interviewed and luckily the woman behind the window was supportive of Orlin’s talents and dedication to photography. Visa approved - tears of happiness.
Upon arriving to the airport the night of our flight (1:00 AM) Orlin proudly approached the Spirit Airlines ticket counter with his official American visa. Without remorse the attendant handed back his passport and said he couldn’t go without a permission slip signed by his mother. In a panic, I called Jimmy who mustered up a final effort to get Orlin on the plane. Jimmy convinced the migration officer to allow Orlin to travel and finally at 2:00 AM we were in the air on our way to Florida.
The conference was a whirlwind of photography workshops, meetings with the pros, and chronic sleep deprivation. Orlin’s first three days consisted of going out in the field and learning to use a Canon SLR. The students would come back to the hotel to upload images, critique photos, and then reflect on the day through intimate feedback sessions. Although Orlin did not speak or understand English, I was there to translate every word and to be his voice. Orlin displayed an acute maturity that resonated with the other students. He openly compared his experience in Florida as walking through a magic door into the land of Narnia; a land of dreams and endless possibilities.
After the three days in the field Orlin attended the conference with 600 other professional photographers listening to keynote speakers from National Geographic and other famous publications. On the last day Orlin was even invited to give a speech about his experience with the high school scholarship program and the impact NANPA will have on his life. A fellow student translated his words and they received a standing ovation.
The success of the program is hard to measure in quantitative terms. Orlin said that coming to Florida was like “a blind man seeing the world for the first time.” While he benefited from the new friendships, the imparted knowledge from other photographers, and the experience of overseas travel I think it’s just as important to note the positive effect he had on everyone else at the conference. In my four years of attending the conference I have never seen a student group as emotionally cohesive as this year’s. Much of this has to do with Orlin’s ability to open up with such inhibition that he welcomes and sometimes catalyzes discussion and reflection. Not every youth would feel comfortable in his shoes; surrounded by an ocean of foreigners and new isms, asked to jump right in. Honduras should be beaming with pride that they have an ambassador like Orlin.
