José María Leones Patios is a 58-year-old man, born in San Cayetano, Bolívar, a farmer by birth and a flower grower by passion. As a young man he always dreamed of being a gardener because he grew up in a space that favored him, although he also longed to be a veterinarian due to his love for animals, whom he defends above all things. Between laughter and security, he says: "I don't want to party with animals, I prefer that they do me harm."

Currently, José is the gardener at the Universidad del Sinú, who gets up very early every day to work to produce and maintain the plants and flowers that adorn the buildings. In his work, he is in charge of giving them a special treatment so that they are in good condition or 'alive', as he calls them, since it is the first thing that people observe when entering. For this reason, he strives to have all the plants in the best possible condition because each space of this university has become his second home, the students and teachers are part of his family.

Every day he arrives very early to organize everything, and finally he has his breakfast. This is how it has been during the seven years that he has worked in the institution, to be able to build a stable future -what he had always wanted-, in addition to getting his own house and a more comfortable life. Before starting his job at the university, José was a man who lived in the countryside growing yams, cassava, bananas and corn, and then went out to sell it and obtain his livelihood. This was what he had always done from an early age, since he only studied up to fifth grade and dedicated himself to work in the fields.

He says that the best for him began 15 years ago when he was baptized in a Christian church and he feels that from that moment his life had a real change, something inside was transformed, everything around him began to make sense. José explains that when he decided to receive God in his heart and feel that he was holding his hand, he felt a fire inside, a joy that words could not explain.

And one of the things that began to straighten out in his life was in the workplace when seven years ago he started working at the Universidad del Sinú.

José is a Christian man and he thanks God every day for this work that helped him get ahead, because he was able to start over and lead the life that at some point he wanted and thought he would never have.

“God rewarded me with this work and here I am”, Jose Maria Leones Patios. Currently, he lives with his wife, daughter and grandson, who is the light of his eyes. He leads a life where he feels full, with aspirations and dreams. One of those is to be a better Christian, improve your home and continue doing what you love most.

 “I have to be honest as God teaches, with my daughter I do not have a good relationship now, even though she is under my roof, I have endured things that I should not have for my grandson, because I love him. However, what I most desire is that my daughter and I would be united again, her treatment of me would be better, it hurts me to say this but it is reality.

Despite some difficulties, José is a friendly, cheerful man who always keeps a smile on his face, which he shows to all Unisinanos. For him, it is more gratifying to give than to receive, that is why he strives to do so in everything that surrounds him. God has been the best thing that has happened to him in life along with his work as a gardener because he can exercise what he likes the most, grow flowers and plants, in addition to a warm environment that surrounds him.