👩🏻🎓How It’s Going - Marlene 2023 Sponsor Rose Toldo “I have been a part of this program for many years. It is a wonderful way to stay connected to Isla. Prior to this program I had no idea what a profound difference could be made not only for the student but their entire family. Please consider becoming a part of this program - sponsorships are available at many monetary levels and every bit helps. Plus - a little kaching in the Karma bank is always a good thing. You’ll hear from your student monthly and can meet with them on Isla if you like. During the winter months Maggie lives on the island and is available to facilitate meeting. I’m in touch with several of my former students and it’s wonderful to see them.
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Nelson Mandela - “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The Isla Mujeres Scholarship Program is changing lives. We have heard many times from sponsors that they get far more out of participating in this program than they give. It is a very rewarding experience to make a true difference in a young adult's life. Following their dreams and getting a university education has ripple effects far beyond themselves! We have 41 alumni and 14 scholarship recipients currently attending university. We are in need of additional sponsors for several of our students. If you are interested in becoming a student sponsor, please contact us. This is Loyda. Her educational path has been different than most of our scholarship students. Loyda first became a scholarship program student when she was 16 and enrolling in a technical prep high school in Valladolid to study nursing. The technical prep nursing course was three years in classroom followed by a one year internship. After the internship Loyda received a technical degree. Loyda is now doing a second internship in Merida. This internship she has gone out into the communities consulting on visual, hearing, and dental health, and pregnancy risks. Loyda will complete this internship in a few months. When she finishes, she will start her university nursing studies, which will be one year of classes and one more year of internship. She hasn't yet decided her specialty in nursing. We are very proud of Loyda for her growth and development and determination to complete her studies to become a nurse. Jana Epperson, Isla Mujeres Scholarship Program’s financial administrator and banker explains “Why we do our yearly fundraiser? Thanks for asking!” Although our students each have a wonderful team of sponsors to cover most of their monthly education and living expenses, there are a lot of additional expenses involved. * Sometimes we have a new student who needs registration fees, a new laptop and glasses to get started and we haven't yet formed a team for them. * Sometimes a student is using an old broken down phone or laptop and they need to be upgraded. * Graduation fees are very costly and we often use 'General Funds' to help pay those costs. * Many times, we have helped out a student outside of our normal roster. Students have come to us in the past who have excellent grades, but just not quite enough financial means to finish up their degree or to pay the graduation fees. * We recently used some funds to purchase a laptop for a current student's younger brother, who has excellent grades. Reliable electronics are a must have for a student to be successful these days and that's expensive. A cell phone is important for students to stay in touch with family and for safety reasons. * Our overhead is LOW. We spend about $30 a month on transfer fees to get funds to the students and last year I spent $19 on 'Hello My Name Is' stickers for our big party and $40 in shipping fees to mail out prizes from our fundraiser. That's it! The rest of the money goes to students for living expenses and education. Don't you love that? Thank you for your generosity and kindness. These students will not only change the future for themselves and their families, but they make Isla a better place.  A Every year we gather all who can come to our annual celebration of the Scholarship Program - the students and graduates with their families, and the sponsors! Just received this note from our recent graduate Michelle Jimenez, who graduated with a degree in International & Commercial Business Administration. Here is what she says: "Hello, it's a pleasure to write to you again after a long time. I hope everyone is doing very well. I graduated last year and I spent a year working very hard and without rest. Today I want to tell you that I started my own business. It is a small sports bar on the edge of the beach. I'm still getting started, I hope to grow and gain more customers as time goes by. I am very grateful to you who supported me from the beginning with my studies. Today I am starting in business. I would like you to visit me soon, I send you a big hug 💗". * Michelle’s sports bar La Chirenita is located on Avenida Rueda Medina across from Cibanco. Between Picus and Luna Grill. The entrance is next to Sandy Crafts. Isabel who recently graduated with a Law degree is a single mom with two young children, (one is special needs). Isabel is pictured here with her proud Mom, who raised this amazing woman. She is already working on her Master’s degree. Besides going to university and raising her two children, Isabel volunteers with DIF, the social assistance agency on Isla Mujeres. Isabel is an amazing woman. She is an inspiration and she is force of nature. The Isla Mujeres Scholarship Program and her sponsors gave Isabel the opportunity to make her dreams come true. ♥️ Tamara came to us part way through her university education, asking for help to finish. She was close, but had piled up unpaid tuition debt by continuing to attend classes even though she had not paid the tuition. Tamara was that determined to get this education and degree! We were able to step in, get a team formed, and through the combination of her sponsors and our general fund, pay her debts and support her through graduation. |
