{"id":24371,"date":"2026-04-29T15:31:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T21:31:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/?page_id=24371"},"modified":"2026-04-29T15:46:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T21:46:54","slug":"juan-guzman","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/faces-of-hope\/juan-guzman\/","title":{"rendered":"Juan Guzm\u00e1n"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||24px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/faces-of-hope\/&#8221<\/a>; button_text=”Back to Faces of Hope” button_alignment=”left” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_bg_color=”#FFFFFF” button_border_radius=”34px” button_icon=”#||divi||400″ button_icon_color=”#E09900″ button_icon_placement=”left” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/FacesofHope_Horizontal_Final-copy-2-300×137.png&#8221<\/a>; title_text=”Faces of Hope Horizontal Logo” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”–et_global_body_font|600|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#4f5b79″ header_2_font_size=”30px” header_2_line_height=”1.1em” custom_margin=”|94px||94px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

From pandemic isolation to master\u2019s degree determination.<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Juan Guzman<\/strong> found the support system strength to pull himself up and out of darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In Guatemala City, Juan Guzman was an 18-year-old first-year med school student. He was surrounded by friends and family in a city he\u2019d known since birth and his compass was firmly set on a career as a psychiatrist. When Guzman and his parents moved to Summit County in November of 2014 to be closer to his older sister, he left that life behind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Guzman was hopeful. He\u2019d never seen snow, he was a doting uncle grateful to be closer to his sister\u2019s family, and, although getting into medical school in the U.S. was proving to be expensive and time consuming, Guzman easily secured a job at McDonald\u2019s in Silverthorne and was quick to make friends. Six years later, Guzman found himself wearing an assistant manager badge.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, McDonald\u2019s shut down. And so did Guzman.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEverything started falling apart mentally,\u201d he says. \u201cI wasn\u2019t even hanging out with my parents who I lived with. I slept a lot. Didn\u2019t want to leave my room. I was emotionally isolated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The restaurant divvied up slimmed down hours to employees and Guzman was back behind the counter in 2021, but there was a heaviness lingering inside of him. Solitude was creeping in and he couldn\u2019t shake the feeling of being stuck.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, \u2018maybe I need to do something about this,\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cSo I started therapy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Guidance from a BetterHelp virtual therapist led him to realize he\u2019d put up barriers that were stopping him from going after what he really wanted in life.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Juan Guzman<\/p>\n

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Stories spiraled in his mind\u2014I\u2019m not good enough for another job. I can\u2019t escape my comfort zone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I broke,\u201d he says. \u201cThere were days of me crying every time I got to my car after work, getting home, going to my room and saying what am I doing with my life?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Guzman confided in his sister who urged him to quit his job if it wasn\u2019t bringing him happiness. At this point, he had 10 years under his belt and McDonald\u2019s was ready to offer him a store manager position.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA few days later, I told my boss I can’t do this anymore,\u201d Guzman says. \u201cI said thank you for the store manager consideration, but this isn\u2019t what I want to do with my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It was 2024 and Guzman\u2019s pent-up emotions were on the brink of bursting.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A door closed and a whole new world opened.<\/h2>\n

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One pandemic silver lining: Guzman had racked up Colorado Mountain College online credits and was well on his way to a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services\u2014a degree preparing students for careers in behavioral health, mental health and social services. After a short hunt, he landed a job at <\/span>Elevated Community Health as a behavioral health patient access representative.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis community health job showed up. Like a sign,\u201d he says. \u201cRight after the interview, it felt good and I thought \u2018why didn\u2019t I do this sooner?\u2019 I always regret not doing it sooner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, Guzman is 31 and has found purpose in making patients\u2019 lives easier, calling to book followup sessions, scheduling therapy appointments, and ensuring the Spanish-speaking and LGBTQ communities feel seen and represented.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Fall of 2025, he transferred to Pueblo Community College and plans to complete his bachelor\u2019s degree in Fall of 2027. After that, it\u2019s onto earning his master\u2019s degree.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no stopping,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen you\u2019re motivated to do stuff, there\u2019s no pausing. I want to start helping people as fast as I can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Guzman says he sees the county\u2019s deep need for Spanish-speaking behavioral health providers and encourages clients to reach out to Building Hope to access scholarships that cover up to 12 sessions of individual counseling along with group therapy, psychiatric visits and psychological testing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suffered from depression and therapy helped a lot,\u201d he says. \u201cI still see my therapist every two weeks. Just to touch base. To get the emotional load out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Building Hope also helped ease the stress of paying for college, connecting Guzman to a scholarship for continuing education.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people find comfort in solitude,\u201d he says. \u201cI like my alone time, but nothing compares to having someone by your side that cares for you and shows you support.<\/span><\/p>\n

That has motivated me to be a psychiatrist. I want to be someone that can be there for everyone who needs it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Taking the little wins and learning to let go.<\/h2>\n

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Working 40 hours a week at Elevated Community Health and spending evenings on college curriculum\u2014a mix of accelerated courses, weekly assignments and discussion posts due each Sunday\u2014keeps Guzman busy. Depression creeps in, he says, and feelings of regret, frustrations at work, and a life left behind in Guatemala can feel heavy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI always saw depression and anxiety as something you\u2019re trapped inside of,\u201d he explains. \u201cI picture myself with anxiety and depression and I was down in a hole and I could only see the blackness on top.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Everything shifted the moment Guzman shared his bottled-up emotions with his sister and friends and started going after what he wanted in life. Building an unshakeable support system of family and friends has been crucial on his mental health journey. Weekly meet-ups to walk around Lake Dillon, see a movie together or just sit and talk with his former coworkers and friends brings him solace and gratitude.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m learning to let go of the things I left behind when I moved here,\u201d he says. \u201cI still talk to friends back home and try to go see them every year around holidays. Knowing they\u2019re still there for me is important. But you learn to have a life before and after moving to the states. Even if it\u2019s changed you for the better, you\u2019re still the same person from where you came from. You\u2019ve just evolved and adapted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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As a Spanish-speaking male, the mental health stigma is real.<\/h2>\n

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Guzman became a U.S. Citizen two years ago and says, though citizenship has made things easier\u2014nudging him out of his comfort zone to apply to college, for example\u2014he realizes it\u2019s a scary time politically for the local Hispanic community. This fear elevates the existing stigma around asking for mental health help, a private struggle that Guzman says is especially prevalent for men.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people in the Hispanic community think going to a therapist means you\u2019re crazy,\u201d he says. \u201cMen never talk about their feelings and it\u2019s even more so for Hispanic men. Everyone can get so much out of talking to a therapist. They don\u2019t judge your color, your accent, your sexual preference\u2014therapy is open for everyone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A motivator pushing his behavioral health career path forward, Guzman sees long wait times to get in with a Spanish-speaking therapist and hesitation from Spanish-speaking clients to express themselves in a language that\u2019s not their primary language.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need more options,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt\u2019s easier for men to talk about things they\u2019re going through with another male.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Through his own therapy, Guzman has built a toolkit to lift himself up and put himself back together when anxiety or depression arrives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI really try to look at the bright side now instead of drowning myself in darkness,\u201d he says. \u201cGetting in contact with nature helps. I love to take walks at night. In Summit Cove, you can really see all the stars.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think every day is a challenge. You never know what you\u2019ll encounter in a day. But you have to look forward. Today is gone, tomorrow can always be better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photos <\/strong>by Carson Covell. Carson <\/strong>is a Summit County\u2013based photographer focused on authentic, timeless images of people, place, and community.<\/p>\n

Article by Lisa Blake. Lisa<\/strong> is a Breckenridge-based author and freelance writer specializing in wellness, food, and adventure storytelling. Find her work in Mountain Town Magazine, Well Magazine, 5280 Magazine, and at\u00a0lisablakecreative.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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