Scholarship for Indigenous Guatemalan Students

Please contribute to a scholarship fund to support at least nine young indigenous students in Guatemala!

All students are from an indigenous Kaqchikel community in Chimaltenango, the same town where I was a Peace Corps volunteer. Each of these female students has educational goals they cannot reach without outside financial support. I want to continue supporting each student in their next year of studies (2023). Many of these nine students received a scholarship for their studies in 2022 and some also received scholarships in 2021. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the scholarship fund in the prior two years!

At a minimum, I want to raise $5000 to cover registration and tuition expenses for at least nine students. Additional money will cover other expenses like books, uniforms, technology fees, transportation, etc…

The nine students we want to support with scholarships this year are: Estrella, Jennifer, Hilary, Maria, Marilyn, Deisy, Katerine, Elsy, Beberlin.

Five students hope to continue studying in high school/post-secondary. Fees for tuition, books, and uniforms are significant. Two of the students, Estrella and Jennifer, graduated from a high school that focuses on science and medicine. They each will continue their studies in nursing. Estrella still dreams of becoming a doctor. (The student Mary, who was a scholarship recipient last year, completed her nursing assistant degree.) Hilary is continuing her studies at a bilingual high school. Maria is continuing with her studies in business administration. Marilyn just completed junior high and will continue with high school.

Four students want to continue studying in middle school. Some of these students will attend the same middle school where I volunteered many years ago. Deisy will begin her last year. Elsy and Beberlyn will begin their second year, and Katerine will begin her first year. I already have funds that will cover the registration and monthly tuition fees for these middle school students.

Depending on the amount of money raised, we may also support an additional three female students who just graduated sixth grade and wish to continue their studies.

Without this scholarship, these female students will be unable to continue their education. Their families cannot afford to pay for the exorbitant cost of education. Unfortunately, sending children to school in Guatemala, including middle school and high school, is a luxury many families cannot afford. Only elementary school is free. In addition to economic limitations, indigenous females face many additional barriers to accessing an education.

Please help me support these students!

The $5000 I hope to raise will only cover a portion of the educational expenses for these students. Any additional amount raised will be used to fund other student expenses. I will directly coordinate payment of tuition and (upon request) I can send you photos and letters from the students.

Thank you for your continued support of these students!