Every year, the best students of Colombia go through the same question: to leave home for studies abroad or to stay in their homeland and strengthen the nation from inside. The answer splits classrooms, families, and even dreams. There are those who think that leaving the country is a betrayal, while others think it is an act of hope. Reality is not that simple. Leaving looks like loss-but when students leave to learn and then return to rebuild, they become catalysts for progress. The future of Colombia depends not on who leaves but on who decides to come back.

Studying abroad should be regarded not as abandoning one’s country but as an investment in its future. Go out to learn; come back to lead-importing innovation, global networks, and ambition, and turning personal opportunity into national progress. Departure, when tied to return, becomes service.

For many students, this means access to stronger education systems and innovation hubs. “I think many universities abroad have more qualified teachers and experiences,” said Julieta Vélez, an eleventh grader planning to study in the U.S. “It’s an interesting idea to leave home and experience things outside my comfort zone, in institutions that are very prestigious.” Vélez thinks that eventually this exposure can strengthen the universities and the industries of Colombia. Her point is clear: global learning isn’t about escapism; it’s preparation. Bringing back world-class standards could modernize Colombia’s education and technology sectors from within.

Time abroad also expands professional networks that Colombia desperately needs. Vélez explained, “The most important thing about studying abroad is getting the new perspective of living somewhere else, seeing what works, seeing what doesn’t, meeting new people.” These connections often become bridges for investment, research, and collaboration. Students returning home carry both ideas and influence with them as a result of their international experience. Vélez added, “I 100% do plan to use my international experience to help our country progress.” Her conviction shows how leaving can fuel reform—if returning remains part of the plan.

Still, it is staying in Colombia that can be a form of leadership. “I thought that my life here was very comfortable to change it and be alone in a place I don’t know,” said Sara Gómez, a senior at The Columbus School who decided to study at EAFIT University. “The difference is that maybe I help with my country and work in my place that I belong, where I was born, my roots.” Gómez’s choice reflects loyalty and realism. By investing her energy locally, she strengthens institutions from inside out—reminding her peers that not all change requires distance. Critics say that when the best minds leave Colombia, they rarely come back-a self-reinforcing cycle called brain drain. Gómez shares that concern: “When people leave for four years, they just stay living there, so they don’t help with the position of the country.” She’s right to be concerned, but the solution isn’t forbidding their departure-it’s fostering their return.

Scholarships, research programs, and other incentives can ensure that global learning feeds national growth. The challenge isn’t whether students should leave; it’s whether the system inspires them to return with purpose. Colombia does not have to choose between those who stay and those who leave-it needs dreamers who explore and builders who stay. It is in uniting their strengths that the country’s future lies. To young Colombians questioning what this new kind of patriotism means today, remember this: leaving to learn is not desertion; it is preparation. Study abroad, return home, and lead with what you learned. True loyalty is not where you study; it is about where you decide to make change.