“My name is Salomón Trinidad Pérez. I am from Barahona. I am 26 years old. I was one of the first baseball players that started into
the I Love Baseball program. Since that moment, COTN became a fundamental part of my life and helped me to become
who I am today.”
“I am so happy and thankful for the support received via the sponsorship as well for the privilege of be part of this great family COTN.”
Salomón says that, growing up, he was an average teenager in Barahona—an economically depressed district in the Dominican Republic.
His family had just enough money to feed themselves and buy basic supplies. There was no money for education. University would be
impossible.
Salomón had one thing going for him—he was a talented pitcher. But despite his skills, Salomón knew the odds of getting signed by a
major league team were slim. On average only one to two percent of all Dominican hopefuls make it into the big leagues.
Salomón felt stuck. He wanted to find a way out of the cycle of poverty that had trapped his family and everyone else in his neighborhood.
Many young Dominican baseball players believe getting signed by a major league team is their ticket out of poverty. Sadly, many
forfeit time in school to pursue their dreams.
It was around this time that Salomón learned of the newly-formed I Love Baseball (ILB) program. “The program interested me
a lot because in it I could see an opportunity to be able to progress more as a baseball player and also I could advance
in school,” he says.
At age 17, Salomón entered COTN’s I Love Baseball program. His daily life and future prospects changed immediately. “I didn’t have
to worry about equipment for playing, or about having the time to eat, because we would eat immediately after practice,” Salomón
says.
When he decided to apply for entrance into the local university and pursue his medical degree, Salomón didn’t have to worry about
how to pay for classes or books. “I only have to worry about improving and giving my best in order to maintain my good grades and
become a professional,” Salomón explains.
Last year when he received his degree, Salomón became ILB’s first university graduate and COTN-Dominican Republic's third medical
school graduate. “I know that without the unconditional support and love provided I would not be what I am now today,” he says. “My
time in the ILB program was fantastic and wonderful and I had the chance to enjoy the sport I love to play.”
“COTN became a fundamental part of my life and helped me to become who I am today,” says Salomón.
Now that Salomón has earned his medical degree, he's in the process of serving his one-year residency in government clinics around
the country. In the future, he hopes to get his master's degree in hospital management.
“COTN became a fundamental part of my life and helped me to become who I am today,” he says. “I want to be a doctor
because I believe that I have a calling to serve others, and through medicine I can put this gift into practice.”