We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kerlin Sabogal a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kerlin , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The biggest risk I have ever taken was starting a nonprofit organization with no funding, no staff, no major donors, and no guarantee that it would succeed.
The Courage to Bee was born from a desire to help at-risk and underserved students, but at the time, I was a single mother trying to balance work, family, and everyday responsibilities. Starting a nonprofit seemed unrealistic. I had no experience running an organization, no wealthy network of supporters, and no roadmap for how to create something that could make a meaningful impact.
Then My seven-year-old son saw me working and wanted to opened this nonprofit, and that was then when he handed me $40 of his own money and said he wanted to help. That heartfelt gesture became the very first donation to The Courage to Bee and marked the beginning of our journey. Most people would have viewed a $40 donation as a kind gesture. I chose to view it as the beginning of a movement. What started with a child’s compassion and a $40 donation has since grown into an organization serving children and families in Texas, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. In Houston, we support underserved students and families with educational resources and community programs. In Honduras, we helped bring technology and internet access to a rural school for the first time, connecting students to opportunities that had never before been available to them. In the Dominican Republic, we support youth through education, mentorship, and sports initiatives that have helped some young athletes pursue opportunities all the way to Major League Baseball.
The risk was not financial alone. It was emotional and personal. I was putting my reputation, my time, my energy, and my heart into something that could easily fail. There were many moments when people questioned whether a small organization could truly make a difference internationally. There were times when funding was uncertain, volunteers were limited, and the challenges seemed bigger than our resources. Despite those obstacles, I believed that every child deserves access to opportunity regardless of where they were born. Looking back, the greatest lesson I learned is that meaningful change often begins with a leap of faith. There was never a perfect moment, enough money, or a guarantee of success. There was only a belief that one person, one family, and one community could make a difference.
Today, when I see students accessing technology for the first time, families receiving support, or young people achieving dreams they once thought were impossible, I think back to that seven-year-old boy and his $40 donation. What seemed like a small act of kindness became the foundation for an organization that now impacts lives across multiple countries.
Taking that risk changed my life. More importantly, it has helped change the lives of countless children, proving that sometimes the biggest opportunities begin with the smallest acts of courage.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Kerlin Sabogal, and I am the founder and executive director of The Courage to Bee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underserved children and communities through education, technology, mentorship, and opportunity. Long before I founded a nonprofit, I was a journalist in Colombia. Throughout my career, I covered many social issues affecting vulnerable communities. I spent years telling stories about inequality, poverty, education, and the challenges faced by families who often felt unseen. Those experiences shaped who I am and gave me a deep understanding of how circumstances can limit opportunities for children and families. But the truth is, my desire to make a difference started much earlier. Since I was about 12 years old, I always felt called to help others. I dreamed of one day creating something meaningful that would positively impact people’s lives. At the time, I didn’t know what that would look like I just knew I wanted my life to have purpose beyond myself.
Years later, after moving to the United States and building a life, that dream was still in my heart. The moment that changed everything came after my first trip to the Dominican Republic. While visiting one of the most beautiful countries in the Caribbean, I also witnessed something that stayed with me long after I returned home: children and families living in underserved communities with very limited access to resources and opportunities.
When I came back to Texas, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had seen. I remember telling myself, “It’s time.” I realized something important: there is never a perfect time to start. If you wait until you have enough money, enough connections, enough experience, or enough certainty, you may never begin. Sometimes you simply have to take the first step and trust the process.
I started working on what would eventually become The Courage to Bee. I created the name, developed the mission, and began dreaming about how a small organization could make a meaningful impact in the lives of children. At that point, I had no idea how much that dream would grow. What makes me most proud is not the size of the organization or the number of projects we have completed. What makes me proud are the lives that have been impacted. It is seeing a student use a computer for the first time. It is watching a young person discover their potential. It is seeing communities realize that someone believes in them.
The Courage to Bee was never built on large budgets or corporate backing. It was built on faith, determination, community, and the belief that every child deserves an opportunity to succeed. If there is one thing I hope people take away from our story, it is that you do not have to wait for the perfect moment to begin making a difference. The most meaningful journeys often start with a simple idea, a willing heart, and the courage to take the first step.
For me, that first step started with a dream I had as a young girl, a trip that opened my eyes to a greater need, and a $40 donation from a seven-year-old boy who reminded me that changing the world often begins with the smallest acts of kindness.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
One of the most significant pivots in my life came after my divorce.
Like many people, I never imagined my life would take that turn. Suddenly, I found myself facing the reality of becoming a single mother, rebuilding my life, and figuring out what the next chapter would look like. It was a period filled with uncertainty, fear, and difficult decisions. But looking back, it was also one of the most transformative moments of my life.
Before moving to the United States, I had built a career as a journalist in Colombia, covering social issues and telling the stories of people whose voices often went unheard. Journalism was my passion, and I loved being able to shine a light on important issues affecting communities. When my life changed after my divorce, I realized I needed to create a new path not only for myself but for my children. I made the decision to invest in my education and future. I enrolled at Houston Christian University, where I earned my Master’s Degree in Bilingual Education. It wasn’t easy. I was balancing school, work, motherhood, and the emotional process of rebuilding my confidence and identity. There were many moments when I questioned whether I could do it all. But I knew that if I wanted a different future, I had to be willing to grow through the challenges. After completing my degree, I began working in education. At first, it felt like I was leaving my past career in journalism behind. But over time, I realized that I wasn’t abandoning my purpose I was expanding it.
As a journalist, I told the stories of people facing challenges. As an Educational Advocate and nonprofit leader, I became part of helping change those stories.
That realization changed everything for me.
Through my work in education and later through The Courage to Bee, I found a new calling. Instead of simply reporting on issues affecting children and families, I could now help create solutions. I could advocate for students, support underserved communities, bring educational opportunities to children, and help open doors that might otherwise remain closed.
What started as one of the most difficult periods of my life ultimately became the foundation for my greatest purpose. My divorce forced me to pivot, but it also forced me to discover strengths I didn’t know I had. It pushed me to reinvent my career, and dedicate my life to serving others.
The biggest lesson I learned is that sometimes life’s most painful transitions are actually invitations to become who we were meant to be. What felt like an ending became a new beginning one that led me to education, community impact, and a mission that continues to inspire me every day.
Today, I know with certainty that my purpose is to help children, strengthen communities, and create opportunities where they may not otherwise exist. That pivot changed not only my life, but the lives of many others I have been blessed to serve along the way.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One story that best illustrates my resilience happened when I founded The Courage to Bee.
Like many nonprofits, we started with very little. There was no large donor, no major grant, and no guarantee of success. In fact, our first donation was just $40 from my seven-year-old son, who wanted to help children in need. Many people would have seen that as a small gesture. I saw it as an opportunity to build something bigger. There were countless challenges along the way limited resources, fundraising obstacles, and the reality of trying to create impact across multiple communities. There were moments when it would have been easier to give up or assume the mission was too ambitious.
Instead, I kept moving forward, one project at a time, one partnership at a time, and one child at a time.
Today, what started with a $40 donation has grown into an organization serving communities in Texas, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic through education, technology, Sports, mentorship, and community support.
That journey taught me that resilience is not about having all the answers or resources from the beginning. It’s about believing in a mission strongly enough to keep going when the outcome is uncertain.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thecouragetobee.org/
- Instagram: @thecouragetobee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thecouragetobee/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecouragetobee/
Image Credits
Image credit to : Juan Mendez