Juan Pablo Puerta López, better known as “Juampi,” is a 14-year-old Paraguayan who managed to stand out in the demanding Taiwanese educational system and recently won first place in a prestigious YouTuber competition. In an interview with the Paraguayan government’s press office, he shared his experience of adaptation, learning and growth in the Asian country, where he faced and overcame numerous challenges.
A new home and a challenging adaptation
“We came here six years ago. We moved for work reasons for my mother, along with my father and my little brother,” says Juampi. The transition to a new culture and a new language was not easy, especially for a child who arrived without knowledge of Mandarin and with forgotten English.
“It took me quite a while to learn Chinese. I arrived with my English completely forgotten, but little by little I picked it up again and then learned Chinese as well,” he explains. He first attended a public primary school where he received special language support. “After school we had something called ‘ An xin pan ’, which were extra classes where you did homework and studied maths and Chinese, which are the most required subjects here.”
With effort and dedication, he managed to adapt to the new system and is currently studying at Lanya Secondary School, where he feels much more integrated. “I am doing relatively well now, I can already make friends and communicate perfectly in Chinese.”
A demanding educational system
Juampi highlights the level of the Taiwanese education system, which is very demanding. “Classes are from 7:30 to 17:00, but many students attend extra classes until 10 or 11 at night. Although it sounds like the whole day is just about studying, there are also sports activities, competitions and interesting classes that help us develop ourselves as a whole.”
These subjects include practical skills such as cooking, cleaning and even learning Morse code. “They prepare us not only academically, but also for everyday life and personal development,” she says.
It was during one of these activities that Juampi discovered his passion for digital communication. “I signed up for a YouTuber competition, for which I had to write a story in English about a trip to Japan. I managed to reach the final, where we had to improvise a story based on a series of images.” His performance earned him first prize in the competition, which opened new doors for his career.
New opportunities in communication
“After this, opportunities arose, such as interviewing Taiwanese businessmen at a Paraguayan meat event,” he says enthusiastically. This event allowed him to get close to important figures in the business sector and expand his horizons in the world of communication. “Since I was little, I loved the idea of being a YouTuber. I continue to upload content to my channel and it motivates me a lot to see that my passion is bearing fruit.”
Despite being his first experience as an interviewer, Juampi managed to handle himself naturally. “At first I was nervous, but then I really enjoyed it. I think my theatre classes with Professor Héctor Loccsa helped me a lot,” he says.
Looking to the future
Juampi has big aspirations and dreams of continuing to explore the world of digital communication. “This was my first interview, but I definitely want to keep improving and learning. I really like sharing stories and connecting with people.”
Juampi’s story is a testament to effort, adaptation and passion for communication. His journey in Taiwan, beyond demonstrating the ability of young Paraguayans to excel on international stages, also demonstrates the power of perseverance and dedication to achieve dreams.
