Outstanding Owl

He left his family, his friends and his country behind. He traveled thousands of miles with no safety net to catch him in case he fell. Why? Roger Barascout wanted to pursue his dream.

Originally from Guatemala, Barascout received a bachelor’s in Philosophy with a teaching license from Francisco Marroquin University in Guatemala City. He has been invited to be a guest speaker in El Salvador, Mexico and Guatemala.

He is a master of languages. He fluently speaks Spanish, English, Italian and French. He has studied and can read and translate Latin and Ancient Greek. He is also knowledgeable in German, Russian and Japanese.

However, he has one dream and life goal, which is to be an opera singer.

“Guatemala does not have many opportunities for music, especially opera. I knew that if I wanted to do what would make me happy, I’d have to sacrifice some things,” he said.

Following this decision, Barascout is now spending his second year studying at Temple University as a voice performance major. He has joined the Latin American ensemble and the Temple University choir. Last year, Barascout was the only freshmen to be part of the Temple opera “Candid.” He is currently working with the ensemble for “Cleo,” an opera coming to Temple in February.

In addition to being heavily involved with the music department, he can be seen all around campus. Over the summer he joined the Temple Owl Team, giving tours to incoming freshmen. He works at the Student Center, where he is the coordinator of memorial awards and student development transcripts. He is also active with community service groups that help children in the area.

As for the future, he already has a foot in the door. With many offers, he is considering attending graduate school. Although he loves Guatemala and always wants to remain in touch with his roots, he knows that his place is where his first love is.

“Everyone can say that his or her dream is to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House, but I’ll be happy singing anywhere,” Barascout said.