At 18, a young man from Pinamar is building a bridge toward a better Argentina: “Many young people feel that school does not speak to them”

At 18, Uriel Manzo is already trying to connect young people with an education system he believes often fails to reach them. “Many young people feel that school does not speak to them,” he says, describing the challenge of thinking about education while learning competes with hunger, precariousness and uncertainty.

Manzo grew up in Pinamar, a place he loves for its beaches, dunes, quiet and open space. As a child, he talked constantly, especially with his grandparents. He listened to his paternal grandfather Juan Carlos recount stories of Ostende, the dunes and the effort to recover from the sea a house where President Arturo Frondizi spent his summers. He also heard the story of his meeting with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

“

Many young people feel that school does not speak to them.

His other grandfather, Sergio, strengthened his interest in politics. Sergio arrived in Argentina from Chile during Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. The two walked along the beach, speaking about politics in the cold wind and on wet sand. They did not always agree, but Manzo says those conversations taught him that difficult discussions remain worthwhile when people treat each other with respect. Many of the political books he owns came from his grandfather.

“

Listening to stories about an Ostende that was only dunes, about how they had to recover from the sea the house where President Frondizi spent his summers, or incredible anecdotes, such as when he met Saint-Exupéry.

His political vocation appeared early in family life. He gave elaborate speeches at lunch, carrying a briefcase and wearing suits that were too large for him. His parents recorded him and encouraged the game, which gradually became something more serious.

At secondary school, he found his first real experience of civic participation through the student center. He joined meetings, elections and committees, and helped create spaces focused on mental health. He also promoted reading projects after seeing reading-comprehension problems that students faced every day.

“

We walked along the beach, in the cold wind and on the wet sand, and talked about politics. We did not always agree, but there I learned that when there is respect, even uncomfortable conversations are worthwhile.

The experience taught him to insist. He followed school administrators through corridors, waited outside doors and learned to navigate what he calls the “everyday games of power,” including egos and institutional timing. His technical school left a strong impression because of teachers and administrators he describes as genuinely committed to their work.

“

Everyday games of power.