One scholarship changed Manuel Barrantes’ life and that of most of his family. He was living in Nicaragua surrounded by poverty. He played soccer and thought it might be a career path, but he had to come to grips with the fact he couldn’t play soccer as a career, and he was living in a country where wages can be as little as $1 per day.
He applied for a scholarship that was started by Sam Walton in 1985. Only one recipient was chosen from his country, and it was him. At the age of 17 he left his home country and came to study at Harding University. The culture change was a shock, and there was one other problem — he couldn’t speak English.
“I see every challenge as an opportunity,” he said. “I had to immerse myself in the culture to learn English. That was the only way to do it. If it took a student two hours to study for a test, it would take me four because I would have to translate back and forth. I’m a competitive person, and I accepted the challenge.”
Barrantes has spent the past eight years working at Walmart. He started as an hourly associate but has been promoted six to seven times, he said. Recently, he was named director for Spark Shopping Last Mile Delivery.
E-commerce has exploded in recent years, and customers want speed and convenience, he said. When the trend began, it could take up to seven days for items to be delivered. Now, it can happen in as little as 30 minutes.
His future goals with the company are to potentially move into a higher management position such as a vice president.
“I love Walmart. I love this company. I love this place. It changed my life. It changed my family’s lives.”