On behalf of family, friends, and community members, I am asking you for urgently needed financial support for Amado Flores Rentería: Upward Scholars alum, current Upward Scholars Board member, and an inspiration to us all.

I am the founder of Upward Scholars. Amado was one of the first students to join our then-fledgling program and is one of our most outstanding graduates, so it seems only fitting that I write this letter sharing Amado’s news and seeking your support.

Last spring, Amado received a diagnosis of a rare form of cancer that put his future in jeopardy. Due to the size of the tumor, surgery was not an option. Thus, he received chemotherapy at Stanford Hospital, but it was ineffective. Amado was then referred to an oncologist—one of few physicians in the country who specializes in the type of cancer that Amado has—at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Amado flew to Houston and met with the oncologist who recommended an experimental drug treatment which Amado began taking last week here at Stanford. Since then, he has developed serious complications. For the best care, Amado and his friends/family believe the best place for him to continue his complicated regimen is back in Houston. He is hoping to make that trip in the next two weeks.

Amado has not been able to work for several months. His insurance doesn’t cover all his medical and hospital expenses and his family lacks the financial resources to help pay for those or to cover other costs associated with his illness. We have set a goal of $25,000 to cover these expenses, ensuring that Amado and his family don’t have to be concerned about mounting bills during this critical juncture in Amado’s life.

For those who don’t know Amado, or his life story, I can fill you in here.

Amado came to the United States from Mexico in 2011. He knew no English and it took him four months to get his first job, a cook at a Mexican restaurant earning $8 an hour.

After completing English classes at Sequoia Adult School, Amado enrolled at Cañada College where he received his Associate of Science degree in engineering. While attending Cañada, Amado got a job at the Campus Computer Center, and I vividly remember him telling me how amazing it was to finally have a job where he had a day off.

Amado was one of the first Upward Scholars students to transfer from community college to a four-year university, receiving a B.S. in civil engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Since graduating from Cal Poly, Amado has worked as a project engineer at Webcor and Disney Construction, Inc. and, until recently, as an application engineer at Dayton Superior in Livermore.

Given his success, Amado was a featured speaker at many early Upward Scholars events. This statement, from one of his speeches, always touched my heart: “What is amazing to me about this country is that there are people here who are willing to help people they don’t know, without judging them, without saying, ‘Oh, you are undocumented. Oh, you are Mexican. Oh, you are too old to go to school.’ These people are there to help you when you need it most, at the critical moment.”

There can be no question that, for Amado, this is that critical moment, the time he needs your help the most. All funds raised will go directly to Amado to defray his mounting expenses.

Thank you so much for your generosity and your compassion.

With gratitude,

Elizabeth Weal

Founder, Upward Scholars