Since 2009, FOB and sponsors have provided over 200 annual scholarships to deserving Barrón high school and university students. This year, we will award 31 university scholarships and of these, eight are new students in the program. We have 27 dedicated sponsors and now need four more. University scholarships are $700 USD per school year. The eight new students are profiled below and in a subsequent post. If you would like to sponsor one or more of these qualified scholarship winners, please contact Richard McGuire (richardmcg@aol.com), Dale Lyster (dale.lyster@gmail.com) or Margaret Perez (3910mlp@gmail.com).

Ana Isabel Sponsored by Rob & Jane Rupe

Ana is 17 years old and graduated in July from the new Barron high school with a 9.2 GPA. Since September, she is enrolled as a freshman in the University of Sinaloa Occidente, Mazatlán studying Psychology. She plans to work 16 hours/week as a waitress during school. Ana and her friends started a small charitable program in Barrón to distribute food to poor and elderly people and continues to help her community in this way. She was raised by her grandmother and plans to live at home in Barrón during University.

José Juan Sponsored by Joe Peters & Kelly Cosgrove

José graduated from Barrón’s new high school in July with a 9.5 GPA. Since September, he has been studying information technology and computer science at the University of Sinaloa, Mazatlán; this is a five year program. José is 18 years old and has worked during high school as a fisherman, day laborer, vegetable and fruit packer, and waiter. He plans to work 10 hours/week during the school year. José has a computer for his online classes but no internet access. He uses the neighbor’s internet for his studies.

Ana Gabriela Sponsored by John Davis

Ana is 21 years old and is in her fourth and last year studying psychology at the University of Sinaloa, Mazatlan. She maintains a 9.3 GPA even though she is married and raising a five-year old son. Her goal after graduation is to teach in public schools with a focus on kids with learning disabilities. Ana has a personal computer and internet at home to support her online classes.

Jesús Ernesto Sponsored by Mark and Susan Weigenent

Jesús is in his second year at the University of Sinaloa, Mazatlán, where he studies psychology and maintains a 9.3 GPA. He works weekends as a waiter during school and is able to contribute $1200 pesos per month toward his education. He is raised by his mother whose livelihood is selling seafood from their home in Barrón. Mom does not have the resources to assist with the cost of Jesus’s education so he has to work 20 hours per week to help make ends meet. He has a computer but no internet at home. He has to borrow internet connections from his neighbors to complete his online classes.

Vanessa Sponsored by Bonnie & Harrison Wreschner

Vanessa is in her second year of accounting at the University of Sinaloa, Mazatlán. This is a five year program. She plans to work 42 hours/week during the school year as a cook and waitress. She also does farm work during harvest season. Currently, she contributes $1200 pesos/month toward her education. Vanessa graduated in 2019 from the new Barrón high school. At university, she has maintained a 9.4 GPA through three semesters of study. Vanessa has a computer but no internet connection at home so she uses a neighbor’s connection.