The Esperanza Education Fund

We just finished awarding our second round of 2010 scholarships, our New Esperanza Scholars Program for GED-recipients.  This year’s crop of twelve scholars–who will receive $75,000 in funds–hail from Eritrea to Vietnam to Bolivia and all points in between.  Many of them have overcome deep poverty and family tragedy to become budding engineers, entrepreneurs, civil rights activists, and public servants.  They are amazing–and very brave.  We think it is time to celebrate… twice!

Please join us this Thursday from 5:30 to 8pm at Zaytinya (701 9th St. NW) for a Happy Hour featuring Turkish, Lebanese, and Greek meze. You may recognize Zaytinya’s executive chef, Michael Isabella, from Top Chef!

Also, come meet our scholars!  Our second annual Esperanza Community Picnic will be held on Saturday, August 14, from 2 to 5pm at picnic area C-2 at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria (8999 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22308).  All of our scholars–from this year and last–will be present, and we will, of course, have barbecue, soccer, frisbee, and everything else.

There are not fundraisers.  They are events to spread the word about Esperanza–and show off our incredible scholars.  See you there!

Last night, local NPR affiliate WAMU featured a brief profile of Josue Rosales, our Natalia Aragon Scholar and one of the stars of our 2010 scholarship class.  Josue was interviewed by reporter Kavitha Cardoza, who explored Josue’s rise from humble origins in a farming village outside of Cochabamba, Bolivia, to his academic excellence here in northern Virginia.  Josue will attend Virginia Tech this fall, where he will study engineering.  The story can be found here (halfway down the page); or listen to it directly here or here.

Serious kudos to our Media & Communications coordinator, Cheryl Aguilar!

2010 scholarship applications for GED holders are now available! Applications are due July 9. For more information, go to http://www.esperanzafund.org/scholarship/ged/.

We are thrilled to announce our new class of Esperanza Scholars.   Selected from several hundred applications and 25 interviewees, these eight students are simply extraordinary.  Thanks to the generosity of our Board of Advisors–in particular, star new member Julissa Arce–we were able to award a total of $60,000 in scholarships to the following high school seniors:

• A recent immigrant from Vietnam who has maintained a 4.0 GPA while serving as the sole breadwinner of her family after her father had a stroke and could no longer work. Already a certified pharmacy technician, she aspires to become a UNICEF doctor and plans to attend Virginia Commonwealth University.
• A young man who immigrated from Honduras four years ago on his own and supports himself by working 35 hours a week as a custodian while taking AP classes and serving as captain of his high school soccer team and a member of ROTC. After attending Anne Arundel Community College, this Arce-Aviles Family Scholar plans to become a mechanical engineer.
• A recent immigrant from Panama who is currently enrolled in an advanced curriculum mirroring that of Cambridge University in England. Passionate about politics and particularly immigration reform, he is an intern for Montgomery County Council member Nancy Navarro and president of his high school’s Young Democrats Club.  He aspires to become Maryland’s first Latino governor.
• An immigrant from the West African country of Guinea who will graduate at the top of her class with straight A’s in an AP curriculum and has volunteered hundreds of hours at a homeless shelter. An aspiring cardiologist, this Garland-Rojas Family Scholar plans to attend Montgomery College.
• A recent Chinese immigrant who works 50 hours a week managing her family’s restaurant while maintaining a 3.6 GPA. She plans to major in accounting at the University of Virginia at Wise and hopes to one day start her own business.
• A young man who grew up in a rural Bolivian village where education ended at middle school and there was no electricity. After convincing his family to move to a city so that he could continue his education, he immigrated to the United States two years ago and is now getting A’s in IB Math, IB Chemistry, and IB Physics. An aspiring engineer, this Natalia Aragon Scholar plans to attend Virginia Tech.
• An Indian immigrant passionate about politics and economics who has managed a Rockville City Council campaign, won the Economic Challenge State Competition, works 20 hours a week at a check cash depot, and founded the Young Independents Club at his high school, where he is an IB diploma candidate. After attending Montgomery College, this Fred Wang Memorial Scholar hopes to one day start his own micro-finance business.
• A Mexican immigrant who has maintained a 4.5 GPA in an AP curriculum while working 20 hours a week at a restaurant to help support her family. After attending Anne Arundel Community College, this Arce-Aviles Family Scholar plans to become a lawyer who will represent victims of domestic violence.

Each of these students will be paired with mentors in their communities to ensure that they will be able to excel upon arrival at their new colleges and universities.

Keep posted for our next round of scholarships this summer.  With the generous support from the District of Columbia Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, The Esperanza Education Fund will launch a scholarship program for GED recipients, awarding at least $20,000 in scholarships.

For now, thank you to all of you who made this class of scholars possible–from the over 50 readers who volunteered their time, to the hundreds of donors who have made these scholarships financially possible.  Like our scholars, you are all the best!

Thank you to everyone who submitted an application. We will be reviewing them during the upcoming few weeks and getting in touch with interview candidates. Best of luck in your college career,

The Esperanza Education Fund

On Saturday, March 13, the inaugural class of Esperanza Scholars and their mentors met for their first intensive Career Day in the District of Columbia.  Scholars had one-on-one lunches with their mentors, and then attended a two-and-a-half hour career advising meeting with Mr. Clifton Coates, Director of the University of the District of Columbia’s Career & Professional Development Center.  Scholars discussed career plans, summer internship opportunities, and interview skills with both Mr. Coates and their mentors during this session.  The group ended the day with a delicious dinner at Charlie Chang’s Restaurant.

This session is the first in the Esperanza Fund’s effort to provide its scholars with both the financial resources–and the social and professional networks–that are critical to academic success.  If you would like to help our Mentorship Committee, by hosting an event, making contacts for our scholars, or in other ways, contact Alice Yao here.

2010 scholarship applications are now available! Applications are due March 19. For more information, go to http://apps.esperanzafund.org.

Happy New Year from the Esperanza Education Fund! Thanks to your generous support, we have had an amazing first year. Below is a letter reviewing what we accomplished in 2009 and previewing what we aim to achieve in 2010.

2009 Year in Review

As you read the letter, we hope you will consider making a year-end tax-deductible contribution — and help us to award $100,000 in scholarships next year — by clicking here.

Highlights of our inaugural year include:

• January: Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) public charity.
• March: Launched the capital region’s only college scholarship for immigrant students regardless of ethnicity, national origin, or immigration status.
• May: Awarded $50,000 in college scholarships to six promising immigrant students.
• August: Matched our scholars with mentors from the local community.
• October: Secured a generous grant from the District of Columbia Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs to help start a new scholarship program for GED recipients.
• December: Hosted a gala benefit concert at the Carnegie Institution with renowned pianist Elizabeth Joy Roe.

Best wishes for the new year,

The Esperanza Education Fund

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