Some might know him as the guy behind the big screens, the one making the magic happen. Others, as the number one fan of student entrepreneurship, always ready to push his students into becoming the best, most ambitious, and goal-driven version of themselves. 

For the past 3 years, Business Technology teacher Camilo Hoyos has managed to bring in global-scale business practices to the TCS classroom, granting anyone who crosses his way an opportunity to become a visionary and a leader of tomorrow. 

Despite being a hardworking teacher with high standards for his students, Hoyos’s mission goes way beyond the walls of classroom 900 A. From the moment he steps off campus, he continues to be the same high-spirited individual, with big ambitions, plans for the future, and his life morals set straight. 

“My biggest goal in life is to achieve something meaningful towards cultural evolution; a society in which people can grow together, and let the sense of community at prime,” Hoyos said.

Hoyos’ Story

From an early age, Hoyos and his family moved to Canada where he started off studying and working as a pizza deliverer and college janitor. Through these experiences, he learned valuable life lessons about self-worth and the intangible definition of happiness. These have built him into the man he is today and positioned his success in the area of graphic design and photography. Hoyos’s expertise even managed to capture the eye of the big industry, allowing him to produce a 360 virtual gallery for the world-famous tv-series, Game of Thrones.  

After completing his studies, Hoyos worked as a project manager for 6 years. Here, he learned that his position did not determine his success, but instead, what truly matters is what you think about yourself and finding peace in what you do. 

“Becoming a teacher is the best job I’ve ever had. I am very happy working here because in my previous job, which was the best-paying job I’ve ever had, I had to make really harsh decisions to increase profit, even if it meant sacrificing things that truly mattered to me. I was coming home with that bittersweet feeling,” Hoyos said.

After becoming a teacher at TCS, Hoyos finally found a place where he could fulfill his life mission. 

“When I first came in and saw all the students looking up directly at me, I realized that they would become the owners of the world anytime soon. This was my chance to actually do things right,’” Hoyos said.

A Popular Teacher and Friend

With his out-of-the-box market strategies and motivational speech, Hoyos has managed to touch the hearts of many of his students, inspiring them to follow their dreams and start their own businesses. 

A clear example is Senior Lolita Saldarriaga who has now become a crucial contributor to her family’s business. Two years ago, Saldarriaga offered Hoyos a jar of Bzz Zánganos Honey. Amazed by its taste and story, Hoyos motivated Saldarriaga to use her own abilities and start the business’s social media, increasing sales immensely. 

“The biggest lesson Camilo has taught me is to always stay true to yourself and your business. But most importantly, he has passed on the values of being empathetic and understanding towards your clients, because it’s always better to do things right and be ethical,” Saldarriaga said. 

Likewise, Hoyos has spread kindness to his work colleagues. Social Studies teacher Karol Marín worked with him as a mentor for TOM. Marín had the opportunity to meet Hoyos outside a professional status and got to know a conscious, empathetic, and expressive individual. According to Marín, Hoyos taught her to give value even to life’s smallest occurrences.

“If I could define Camilo in one word it would be unique. He is a living example of balance; the balance between a good professional that always pours his heart out into what he does, and a human being, a friend you can always rely on,” Marín said.

Life Through Hoyos’ Eyes

How do you handle adversity?

Adversity? Adversity is such a wide concept. Whenever an obstacle crosses my way, it’s usually an exciting opportunity. I like to look at it as a challenge. A challenge that opens many doors for me to grow, learn from my mistakes, and become a better person. 

Who motivates you to get up every day?

Many things may depend on the day. If it is a school day, my students. I literally love my job. I can’t wait to come here and welcome them with a big smile. If it is on a weekend, well, especially on a Saturday, I can’t wait to get up and go see my daughter, she lives in a clinic. If it is a Sunday, I can’t wait to see my mother, she has cancer right now. She’s sick. So it’s all about taking advantage of living the moment and waking up with a smile. 

What is your philosophy? 

I think that success is doing what you love. And that’s what I do. I always do what I love, and I’m really happy that way. Also, it’s important to acknowledge that happiness is not a constant, it is a variable. So that also brings me peace. Owing to the fact that sometimes, it’s okay to be sad, and feel angry. Here in my class, I’m pretty happy most of the time because I have reshaped my definition of what it means to be successful. 

Who is your life inspiration?

My wife Diana Bayer is my biggest inspiration. She is the most powerful, successful, and intelligent woman I know. She’s just incredible in every single way. Not only does she push me to become a better professional, but to be a passionate and loving human being.

How would you like to be remembered? 

I don’t really care if they remember me, but if they can remember something that I taught them, I have done my job right. The biggest lesson students should obtain from me is to be ethical, to grow as a community, to love themselves, and to always do the right thing, even when nobody’s watching. They are the leaders of tomorrow, and if they do these things right, I’m sure they will be remembered.

“If they made a movie of my life story, I wouldn’t name it. I would simply put three dots. An ellipsis. Why? Because it’s like, it doesn’t have an end. It’s always there in suspense. It’s intriguing. It’s continuous, right? It’s full of excitement. And those three dots could mean so many things. You never know what’s coming next,” Hoyos said.