The TELACU Education Foundation and Latina Grad Guide are excited to announce the inaugural recipients of the TEF x LGG Scholarship! Together, we awarded $10,000 in scholarships to three accomplished Latina graduate students attending some of the country’s top universities.
About The TEF x LGG Scholarship
Despite their growing share of the U.S. population, Latinas rank at the lowest levels of educational attainment and are less likely to earn a college degree than women from other racial or ethnic groups. Given that higher educational attainment is associated with higher lifetime earnings, better health outcomes, and longer life expectancy, more needs to be done to support the academic success and socioeconomic upward mobility of Latinas in the U.S. Our scholarship aims to address the racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in higher education and increase the representation of Latinas in graduate studies and the workforce.
The scholarship honors the paternal grandparents of Valerie Gómez, the founder of LGG. Her grandparents, Jesus and Maria Gómez, fled war-torn El Salvador in 1981 for a chance at a better life in the United States. They believed that education had the power to transform their children’s lives and encouraged them and their grandchildren to pursue higher education. Today, Jesus and Maria’s children and grandchildren hold nine bachelor’s degrees and three master’s degrees with one of their granddaughters currently enrolled in a PhD program.
Meet the Recipients
Alejandra is currently attending the University of Southern California where she is pursuing her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies. Prior to starting school at USC, she worked as a Population Management Support Coordinator at Kaiser Permanente for five years. Ale hopes to help bridge the healthcare gap by providing primary health care in under-resourced communities upon graduation. She is also passionate about helping Latina/x students, primarily first-generation students, reach their higher education goals by providing mentorship and guidance. When asked about the impact of the scholarship, Alejandra shared, “Receiving the TEF LGG scholarship will allow me to continue to pursue my goals of becoming a Primary Care PA in medically under-resourced communities. I hope to apply my learned skillsets and bilingual skills in communities that lack bilingual healthcare providers. Being a recipient of this scholarship provides me with less financial stress and allows me to focus more on building the skillsets I need to be a culturally-competent provider. Thank you TELACU and Latina Grad Guide for this opportunity!”
Angie is a sociology PhD student at the University of California, Irvine. She is a first-generation college student and was born and raised in Anaheim, CA. She currently studies incarceration, deportation, reentry, and immigration, specifically in the county of Orange. When asked about the impact of receiving this scholarship, Angie shared, “This scholarship will help me focus on my research and schoolwork, including participation compensation and transcription services. It will also allow me to move towards completing my master’s thesis. Lastly and most importantly, earning this scholarship reaffirms my work and research towards social issues of immigration.”
Donna is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. She graduated from Columbia University in 2018. She is currently attending Columbia University School of Nursing and will receive a Master of Science in 2023. When asked about the impact of receiving this scholarship, Donna shared “As a first-generation student, navigating higher education has always been a challenge. This scholarship will help me complete my graduate degree and accomplish my goal of being a healthcare professional in South Central Los Angeles.”
Congratulations Ale, Angie, and Donna for your incredible achievements! We have no doubt that you will continue making a positive impact in our community.
Support our Scholarship Fund
Our scholarship was made possible through the generous support from our network of donors. To support our scholarship fund, donate at: gofundme.com/f/teflgg-scholarship
