Dreams fit to fill the highlands
With determination and foresight, Néstor Carral has transformed the challenges of his environment into the driving force behind his success, creating a turning point for his community in San Antonio de los Cobres.
“In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity,” Albert Einstein once said—a sentiment that perfectly encapsulates the journey of Néstor Carral. At 36, Néstor is not only the Facilities Lead Supervisor at Alpha Lithium but also the first engineer to emerge from the highland puna region and his hometown of San Antonio de los Cobres, a town of nearly 7,000 residents in the Andean province of Salta, northwestern Argentina.
San Antonio de los Cobres, perched at over 3,700 meters above sea level, is famous for its breathtaking landscapes, the last station on the railway of the iconic Train of the Clouds, which snakes through mountains and viaducts across high plateaus deep into the Andes. Yet life here is far from easy—despite the stark beauty of its landscapes, extreme cold, dry air, and low oxygen levels make daily survival a challenge.
Néstor supervises lifting a structure using a crane.-
Néstor's story is one of resilience and ambition. Born into a humble family, he lost his father, a railroad worker, at just four years old while his mother, a craftswoman, who supported him during his studies passed away during his second year of college.
“I’ve always had a restless, creative mind,” says Néstor Carral. “Even as a child, I loved solving problems and helping others.” His introduction to engineering came during his final years of high school when he started working as an assistant at a company installing natural gas networks. “That was my first glimpse into the world of engineering—how projects are planned, decisions made, and challenges tackled,” he recalls. Inspired by the professionals around him, Carral began to think, ‘I can do this too.’
Around the same time, the director of his school, Tito Villegas, encouraged him to compete for an EDESA scholarship, awarded to the ten top students in the province of Salta. “I really wanted to change my family’s life, so I decided to give it a shot,” he says. Despite tough competition from his peers in technical schools where they had more advanced resources, Carral’s will to succeed carried him through to success.
When it came time for university, the journey was no less challenging. He moved to Cerrillos to stay with an uncle, and every day, he traveled two-and-a-half-hours to get to the National University of Salta. The road was tough, but Carral’s determination never faltered. As a whole, his journey from high school to university was anything but smooth. “On the first day of leveling, I got a 0.25,” he admits. “The level of my classmates was far beyond mine. But one thing that has always defined me is not giving up after a fall—just pushing forward.” That perseverance, combined with the guidance of engineer Abel Carmona, one of his teachers at his secondary school, School 5025, helped him turn things around, and by the end of his first year, Néstor had pulled up all his grades.
The Main square of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentine province of Salta.-
In his second year, Néstor moved to a hostel in San Antonio de los Cobres, cutting down on the grueling commute to the National University of Salta. But life threw him another challenge—his mother, his sole financial support, passed away, leaving him to balance his studies with work in order to sustain himself. Shortly after, in 2016, he graduated as a civil engineer, becoming the first professional in his town to hold an engineering degree. A shining example of personal achievement.
Between 2016 and 2019, Néstor Carral returned to where it all began—his secondary school, Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (No. 5025)—but this time as a teacher. He taught math, physics, astronomy, and chemistry, fulfilling a long-held dream of giving back to the community that shaped him. “My goal has always been to come back and somehow contribute what I have learned throughout my life,” he shares. That drive to make a difference started early, as when he was only 13, Néstor joined the San Antonio de los Cobres fire station, where he rose to become fire chief with the rank of officer, a role he held until 2022.
Later, Néstor applied to teach at Technical Education School 3173, with a focus on Chemistry, where he was able to share knowledge in different subjects. He also served as an adjunct professor and head of practical work, mentoring students in Technical Drawing, Stability and Resistance of Materials, at the Electromechanical Industrial Technical Faculty of the National University of Salta, helping to train future technicians.
This year, Néstor embarked upon a new chapter in his life, joining Alpha Lithium, which he speaks about with pride. “The process was extensive and challenging, with a whole stream of interviews that required a lot of preparation and constant effort,” he recalls. “But I kept believing I could do it. Now, being part of this team feels like such a big win for me—both personally and professionally. I really feel like I belong here, and that drives me to keep pushing forward in my career. My focus is on using what I know to help the team succeed and working on projects that make a real difference," he says. Néstor’s gratitude shines through as he reflects on his journey. “I will always be thankful to everyone who encouraged me not to give up—my partner Gabriela Guitian, my sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, classmates, and especially my parents, who are no longer with us,” he says.
For Néstor, the path from his humble beginnings to professional success is a testament to resilience. “It’s hard to explain what it means to come from a poor place where you have next to no opportunities. But if you have a clear purpose, are ready to learn from your mistakes, and never stop trying, you can make things happen. I had nothing—what was I going to lose?” he concludes.