Considering my current circumstances, how do I make it into PE or a HF?

I know this must be one of the most frequent questions in this forum, but I believe the essence of the question and the answer will vary according to each case.

Let me start with some insights about my background. I grew up in a relatively poor Central American country to a middle upper class Family. My teen years were tough. I experienced many things that yielded a negative impact in my current circumstances and the way I am today (Self-esteem issues, Low self-confidence, Anxiety, Severe financial difficulties, etc.). I will not get into much detail, but this particular fact plays a big role.

I went to a local University, which by international standards it is not the best school in the world. I graduated top of the class in both my majors (Business and Economics). My main point of interest during my college years were financial markets. I loved its dynamism and was interested in the money you could be able to make. However, living in a country where most financial activity relies on commercial banking it was hard to get more into the field. My University did not have classes that focused on stock markets, equity research or M&A. Finance classes focused only on basic managerial and corporate finance. I expanded my knowledge by reading many books and using other resources like Bloomberg.

When I graduated, I knew I wanted to get into Finance, but I absolutely had no idea how to. The first thing that came to my mind was getting into commercial banking. I got a job as a Junior Executive. My role was to manage some consumer lending products at the bank. I loved going to work in a suit every morning and feeling the corporate vibe around me. The job required skills mostly in sales and marketing. I was not exceptionally good at neither of both because my background was more quantitative and analytic. This resulted in me not doing a great job. However, many people recognized my value and acknowledged me as a good prospect. Sadly, I had to leave before things got worse.

Soon after, I started working as a Financial Analyst for a relatively big company in the Food Industry, where I got the chance to work with smart people. My supervisor used to oversee the M&A models for the company and our current Business Development Manager used to work for relatively small but well-known PE firm in Central America. I have learned a lot about finance in this job and I can proudly say that I am one of the, if not the, best modeler there.

Right now, more than ever, I want to land a PE or a HF job. Unfortunately, I have no IB experience. I am currently studying for the GMAT and applying for scholarship awards to enroll in a top tier school. I plan to apply to a scholarship for a good Business school in the UK, like Cambridge's Judge, and one for a top Business Scholl in USA, like Harvard. I think that enrolling in a top school MBA program and doing a great job networking is my best shot.

Working in PE or in a HF has been my dream since college, but I am still clueless of the steps to take.

Please help me make this dream come true.

Thank you!