Fernando Orta ’04
Fernando Orta ’04 Returns to Chapel to Speak on Self Reliance
St. Johnsbury Academy recently welcomed back Fernando Orta ’04, valedictorian of the Class of 2004, who returned to campus for the first time in over twenty years.
After graduating from SJA, Fernando earned a double major in Economics and Engineering from Dartmouth College, graduating summa cum laude. After college, he founded Podemos Progresar using his own savings, beginning the company while working out of the back of a van. Today, Podemos Progresar is a growing financial services company in Mexico that helps more than 135,000 small business owners, many of them women, gain access to loans and financial tools. The company now employs over 950 people. Fernando has been widely recognized for his leadership and was recently honored with Entrepreneur of the Year.
During a chapel speech to the student body, Fernando told students his goal was not to talk about success, but about learning. “I have been invited here with the hope that all the mistakes and blunders I have made in my life can somehow be useful to you,” he said.
Rather than offering a typical motivational speech, Fernando focused on self reliance. He encouraged students to see their time at St. Johnsbury Academy not just as preparation for what comes next, but as an opportunity to learn how to know themselves. “The hard part about being an adult is not just making decisions,” he said. “It is being responsible for the consequences of those decisions.”
Fernando urged students to step outside familiar roles, try new things, and pay attention to how those experiences feel. “The point is not the activity itself,” he explained. “The point is to notice what happens inside you when you stop performing the version of yourself that everybody expects.”
Reflecting on his own journey, Fernando credited St. Johnsbury Academy with helping him develop the intuition and confidence that shaped his most important life choices. “The life you want will not be handed to you,” he told students. “You will have to notice it, choose it, and then build it.”
Headmaster Dr. Sharon Howell reflected on his visit, saying, “It was a true pleasure to meet Fernando and his wife, Aline. He shared how excited and happy he was to return to campus after all these years. It was heartwarming to hear his stories and memories about how SJA impacted his life. Fernando’s visit and chapel speech reminded our students that success is rooted in self awareness, responsibility, and the courage to make thoughtful, independent choices. It was a powerful and timely message for our community.”