Call for sponsors

Friends of Barrón has accepted eight new, qualified university students into our scholarship program. All these students are Barron residents who are in various stages of their university programs. All are A and B students in good standing with their respective universities. Profiles of each student are presented below. University scholarships are $700 USD/school year and are paid out to the students in three installments. These scholarships cover about a third of the annual cost to attend university. If you would like to sponsor one or more of these students, please contact Richard McGuire richardmcg@aol.com or Dale Lyster dale.lyster@gmail.com. FOB CANAM INC is a 501(c)(3) registered charity in the US meaning that all donations are tax deductible against US sourced income.

María Estephani – Sponsored by Margaret Perez

María is twenty-two years old and is in her third year of Nursing School at the University of Sinaloa in Mazatlan. She is trying to work her way through school and spends 42 hours per week on the job as a cook and a waitress. During vacations, she works as a storekeeper and a day laborer in the agricultural fields around Barrón. She will graduate from Nursing School in two years, and after she finds gainful employment, she would like to volunteer her nursing services to the poor people in the community of Barrón.

Jesús Martin – Needs a Sponsor

Jesús is twenty years old and is enrolled in the University of Sinaloa Agronomy Program in Rosario, Sinaloa. Jesus is studying fruit culture and is seeking a degree in Agricultural Business, a four-year program. Jesus is a baseball player in this spare time, and works in agricultural around Barron and in an auto mechanics shop. After finding gainful employment and experience in the Agri-chemical Business, he would like to develop an organic farm in Barron and develop chemical-free crops that can be exported to the United States and Canada. He sees Environmental Education as an important endeavor for the residents of Barrón to help them protect their precious river and their flora and fauna.

Kate Estephania – Sponsored by Torrey Cosgrove

Kate is eighteen years old and is enrolled in the Polytechnic University in Mazatlán studying animation and visual effects, a three-and-a-half-year program. Kate maintains a 9.3 GPA and her passion is drawing and painting. Kate has a history of volunteering for several services in and around Barrón and Mazatlán. She works with Amigos de los Animales, which is a rescue and adoption program for animals. She also volunteers to help kids with cancer and helps raise money for their medical treatments. She has volunteered as a tutor for the secondary and prep schools in Barrón. She would like to decorate the Plazuela in Barrón with murals, making it more picturesque for the local residents. Her dream is to work as a animation and visual effects artist in a Warner Brothers or Pixar Studio.

Jesús Francisco – Sponsored by Joe Peters & Kelly Cosgrove

Jesús is nineteen years old and is enrolled as a cadet in his second year of military school in México City. This is a four-year program that will lead to a degree in Public Security. His ultimate goal is to be in the National Guard or Military Police where he would specialize in natural disaster response. His stated objective in life is to serve his country. During his summer vacations in Barrón, he works as a fisherman and in the local agricultural fields. His favorite pass-times are baseball and reading.

William Smith – Needs a Sponsor

William is eighteen years old and is enrolled in the Education at the University of Sinaloa where he is pursuing a teaching degree. This is a five-year program. He is helping to put himself through school by working sixteen hours a week as a waiter in the restaurants in Isla de la Piedra and as a day laborer in the agricultural fields of Barrón. He volunteers as an internet technology tutor for kids in the secondary and high schools of Barrón. Ultimately, his goal is to be a teacher and set up workshops for kids to learn new technologies after school hours.

Katia Guadalupe – Needs a Sponsor

Katia is eighteen years old and is a freshman in the Nursing Program at the University of Sinaloa. She is a graduate of the Barrón high school where she maintained an 8.5 GPA. During her summer vacations and on weekends, she works in a mango packing plant and as a waitress at Stone Island. One of her goals when she graduates is to return to Barrón and work as a nurse.

Nayleth Isabel – Needs a Sponsor

Nayleth is eighteen years old. She graduated last June from the Barron high school. She now is a freshman at the School of Fine Arts in Mazatlan pursuing a degree and license in child care. During school, she works as a waitress ten hours a week in Stone Island and she also tends a small store in Barrón. Nayleth’s dream is to set up a day care center in Barrón so that working mothers have an alternative outside of their immediate families. She is married and is expecting her first child in the next few months. She will continue her univertsity education after her child is born with the help of her mother.

Arlete Joceylyn – Sponsored by Richard and Kris McGuire

Arlete is nineteen years old enrolled int he Technical Institute of Mazatlán in a four year program to become a fisheries biologist. She is in her second year of University. Arlete’s goal is to work in aquaculture and ultimately to start her own aquaculture business in the Barrón area.

Deb and Lee Slupianek are pleased to announce the preparatory school graduation of their sponsored student, Miriam. Miriam has been with the FOB scholarship program for three years and represents the last of the high school students on the program. Two years ago, FOB transitioned to extending scholarships to only University students. This decision was based upon the fact that our program was originally intended to help students overcome the financial burden of the daily bus fare into Mazatlán. Since the Barrón Preparatory School opened three years ago, local students no longer need to commute to receive a high school education. In fact, through the efforts of Lance Gutersohn and Jeremy Kennell, Barrón’s high school has the latest computer technology and can potentially deliver a better education than is available in other local schools.

Miriam at graduation

October 1 is the deadline for University applications. Lee and Deb report that Miriam has been accepted into a University and they look forward to continuing her support as she pursues a career. If you would like to adopt a deserving University student from Barrón, Mexíco, please contact either Dale Lyster or Richard McGuire. We hope to receive the applications by mid-October and by November, we will know how many additional sponsors will be needed.

Thank you for your support.

Miriam in 2016

Friends of Barron is pleased to present to 2017-2018 Scholarship Candidates. We received a total of eight new applications for University Scholarships and each was outstanding. These kids have already been accepted into their Universities and are attending Fall classes. The cost to support one kid per year in University is $700 USD. We already have commitments from five sponsors to fund the continuing education of their high school students, but we need three more. You might notice that Friends of Barron is no longer offering new high school scholarships. This is because the new school that we helped build, with the support of the EDM Charity Golf Tournament, the Sinaloa Government and others, is now educating 40 Barron high school students.

Total scholarships:  30 (12 prep, 18 university)
New scholarships:   8 (0 prep, 8 university, these are included in the total)
Total cost per year:  $18,000 USD
Total cash collected or committed so far:  $14,650
New sponsors needed:  3 University scholarships

Here are the University Students who Need Scholarships:

• Jose Carlos –   Age 20   – You might have seen him working at La Tienda de Chula’s Store in Barron. He’s the one with the big smile and with pretty good English. He was a FOB scholarship student during Prep School, but decided to postpone his University entrance for a year so he could work.  He spent a year working in the fields around Barron and quickly decided that he needed a higher education if he was going to be able to get a good job. In 2017, he entered the University of Sinaloa as a student pursuing a degree in Public Accounting. He works 35 hours a week during school and 80 hours a week during vacation to help pay for his education. He is a sports enthusiast and for this community project (it is a requirement for Scholarship students to propose and implement a community project) he sees sporting events as a way to involve Barron’s youth and help keep them away from the usual problems of alcohol and drugs. He is an “A” student.

• Ana Iris –   Age 18  – Ana is enrolled in the Instituto Technologico de Mazatlan studying to become a Biochemical Engineer. With this degree, she hopes to work in Nutrition for big food producing companies like Pinsa or Bimbo. In her spare time, she likes to participate in traditional folkloric dances. For her community project, she wants to help obese people understand their nutritional issues and the need for exercise. She sees the need in Barron for a local gymnasium. Her ultimate goal is to study abroad and learn English. During school, she plans to work 24 hours a week and 48 hours per week during vacations with the goal of contributing $4000 pesos a month towards her own education.

• Jose Francisco –  Age 19  – Jose is enrolled in the Polytechnic University of Sinaloa studying to become an Engineer of Animation and Visual Effects. During the week, he works 24 hours a week in a hotel and in a cyber cafe and contributes half of his monthly earnings to his college education. In Barron, he volunteers helping younger kids participate in the arts and in sports. He hopes to set up sports tournaments and works at finding uniforms and equipment for kids to use while participating in these tournaments.

If you would like to sponsor one of these worthy students, please contact Dick McGuire (richardmcg@aol.com) or Dale Lyster (dlyster@shaw.ca).

Thank you!

Nataly is fifteen years old and began her first year of high school in August. In her free time, she likes to play soccer. but for now, she has to get on the bus in Barron at 5:30 every morning and doesn’t get home from high school until 2 or 3 in the afternoon, leaving little time for sport.” I’ve always been interested in education, particularly education of young children. And so my goal is to become an elementary school teacher. I see the teaching profession as a good way for me to help the society I live in.” Nataly was a “A” student throughout middle school in Barron. For her proposed community project she expresses dissatisfaction withe the condition of the streets in Barron she would happily volunteer 10 hours a week to help set up trash collection and recycling program so people don’t throw trash in the streets.

Marco graduated from the Barron middle school in June with a “B+” average. He likes to play baseball and soccer in his spare time. His dream is to become a veterinarian because he loves animals. In his essay, he says he needs a scholarship because, unfortunately, his parents just don’t have the money to send him to school. “For my parents, it’s hard enough to get the money together to live day to day, even though my father works hard, seven days a week and sometimes at night in the fields. My mother is a housewife. My ultimate goal would be to open a veterinary clinic in Barron and take care of displaced animals and animals that don’t have a home. I know that my economic conditions at this time are not very favorable and I’m not sure how I am going to pursue this career. But I am hopeful that I can be successful.”

Antonia is seventeen years old and is in her second year of high school at the COBAIS in Isla Piedra where she maintains a “B+” grade average. He favorite pastimes are reading and writing and she also enjoys playing soccer. Her goal is to enter University and pursue a career in criminology with a minor in English. For her community project, she thinks cleaning the place up is a key step toward attracting tourism. She say, “there are many very beautiful places in my community like the river, like the agricultural fields, but they appear spoiled because of trash.”

Alondra likes to read and attends high school in Mazatlan. She is a junior this year. She had a sponsor for her sophomore year but that sponsor has since dropped out of the program. She was a straight “A” student when she graduated from 8th grade two years ago. She is the oldest child with three younger brothers, one of whom requires special education, traveling to Mazatlan to receive special care. Her family can no longer afford the bus fare and Alondra is afraid the same thing will happen to her, preventing her from continuing her education. She is very interested in medicine and would like to be a nurse or a psychologist.

Our scholarship program is now in its seventh year. Since 2009 we have averaged thirty students per year under scholarship. The program started to support Barron kids who wanted to attend high school in Mazatlan, an expensive proposition when you consider the cost of transportation, uniforms, books and tuition (the Mexican government only provides free education through grade 9). Our program covers about half of these costs, the parents cover the rest. To date over 40 of our scholarship students have graduated high school and many have gone on to university.
FOB now offers university scholarships to those who graduate high school in our program. As of today we have 12 university and 19 high school students under scholarship. Of these 31 students, 22 have sponsors whose generous financial support has provided unimagined opportunities for these worthy students.
Presented on the fobnews.org website are the photos and profiles of the eight 2016 scholarship winners. All are in need of sponsors. Have a look and if you think you would like to get involved in the program contact Dale Lyster (phase 1 condo 117 or dlyster@shaw.ca) or Dick McGuire (phase 1 condo 106 or richardmcg@aol.com). Thanks for your interest and continuing support.

Jesus Ernesto is fifteen years old and is a freshman at the Unidad Academica in Mazatlan. He enjoys soccer, reading and listening to music. His mother is a single parent since his birth because when his father learned that his mother was pregnant with him, “he didn’t want to have anything more to do with us.  And he left us like we were some simple leaf in the wind. On the other hand, my mother works day and night to keep our household together.  She runs a little seafood restaurant.  My mother has worked hard. My dream is to become a lawyer because I want to be able to help people.”

He was asked in his application to propose a project for his community of Barron. And he says “the trash in and around the Presidio River over in Barron is ugly and needs to be cleaned up. I would be willing to volunteer my time and effort to work on this project twelve hours a week.”

Nataly is fifteen years old and began her first year of high school in August. In her free time, she likes to play soccer. but for now, she has to get on the bus in Barron at 5:30 every morning and doesn’t get home from high school until 2 or 3 in the afternoon, leaving little time for sport.” I’ve always been interested in education, particularly education of young children. And so my goal is to become an elementary school teacher. I see the teaching profession as a good way for me to help the society I live in.”

Nataly was a “A” student throughout middle school in Barron. For her proposed community project she expresses dissatisfaction withe the condition of the streets in Barron she would happily volunteer 10 hours a week to help set up trash collection and recycling program so people don’t throw trash in the streets.

April is sixteen years old and is in her second year of high school in Mazatlan where she has has maintained an “A” average through her first year. She graduated from the Barron middle school in 2015 with an “A+” average. April likes to participate in ecological activities in her community and she is a volunteer at the Mazatlan aquarium where she guides kids from Barron, and other outlying communities, visiting the aquarium on tours.

She would like to continue her studies beyond high school and attend a university majoring in industrial engineering, with a minor in foreign languages. Her community project for Barron would consist of improvements to the environmental condition of the community, especially cleaning up trash. She would like to approach this first by giving seminars to local residents as to how they could recycle and keep their community clean. She thinks that if Barron was cleaned up, especially along the river, it would attract tourists that want to kayak on the river, do boat trips, horseback ride, birdwatch, etc.

Marco graduated from the Barron middle school in June with a “B+” average. He likes to play baseball and soccer in his spare time. His dream is to become a veterinarian because he loves animals. In his essay, he says he needs a scholarship because, unfortunately, his parents just don’t have the money to send him to school. “For my parents, it’s hard enough to get the money together to live day to day, even though my father works hard, seven days a week and sometimes at night in the fields. My mother is a housewife.”

“My ultimate goal would be to open a veterinary clinic in Barron and take care of displaced animals and animals that don’t have a home. I know that my economic conditions at this time are not very favorable and I’m not sure how I am going to pursue this career. But I am hopeful that I can be successful.”

Fatima is in her first year at the Ruben Jaramillo high school in Mazatlan. She is fifteen years old and her favorite pastime is dancing. She attends classes in Barron to learn how to dance at the comisariado. She graduated the Barron middle school in June with a “A+” average. She says in her essay, “from the time I was a little, I have always liked learning new things and I especially like getting to know people and having them confide in me their feelings, what makes them happy, what makes them sad. My ultimate goal is to pursue a career in tourism. But for that, I know that I have to learn English and I will study very hard to learn that language.”

For her community project, she mentions that the way people throw trash upsets her, especially in and around the river.  She proposes to do small clean-up campaigns and to organize small groups of people that can help with these campaigns.  She sees the need to recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans.  “Right now we don’t have any means to do that. The Barron Plaza needs a lot of maintenance work and the trees need to be taken care of.” She proposes two hours a day “between my studies and my dance classes.”

Miriam is fifteen years old and she loves music. She plays the guitar and she loves to listen to all different kinds of music.  She graduated from the Barron middle school in June with an “A” average. Her goal is to become a veterinarian because she likes animals and wants to be able to cure them of whatever illness they have. “I really want to continue my studies but my parents can’t help me very much economically. My parents have to struggle to find sufficient money for my school needs. My father works hard but the money that he makes is barely enough for my family to eat and clothe itself.  There is not much left over for my schooling. And in order to help them out and make money for my schooling, I work every Sunday for five hours. I don’t make very much, but at least it’s something.”

For her project, Miriam says, “when I go out for a walk around my community, the various types of economic, social and environmental problems that the community is facing are obvious. I would like to do my best to help reduce these problems. I can see that the environment is contaminated and I propose a program to begin to clean it up. I plan to do this by organizing people and talking to them about not throwing so much trash, and especially not to burn garbage because it contaminates the air. This project would improve our quality of life by not having so much contamination in our environment.”

Antonia is seventeen years old and is in her second year of high school at the COBAIS in Isla Piedra where she maintains a “B+” grade average. He favorite pastimes are reading and writing and she also enjoys playing soccer. Her goal is to enter University and pursue a career in criminology with a minor in English.

For her community project, she thinks cleaning the place up is a key step toward attracting tourism. She say, “there are many very beautiful places in my community like the river, like the agricultural fields, but they appear spoiled because of trash.”

The Friends of Barron Scholarship program is designed to supplement the cost of going to high school for the kids of rural Barron, Sinaloa, Mexico. Because of the remoteness of the little town, the costs associated with taking the daily  bus to and from school doubles the overall cost. This puts high school out of reach for many of these kids.

These candidates have been selected from the graduating class of Barron middle school on the basis of their scholarship, their personal essay and their proposed community projects.  Friends of Barron will make sure that those candidates who are able to secure a sponsor maintain at least a “B” average at their chosen high school and that they follow through with their proposed project. Scholarship monies are portioned out at the end of each grading period, based upon official school transcripts.

Your donation of $600 USD (that’s less than $20 a week), will send these kids to school where they will have a chance to pursue their dreams. Please reply to this post or contact Dick McGuire (richardmcg@aol.com) if you can help.

Thank you.

The Friends of Barron scholarship program is entering its sixth year. Since its inception in 2010, the program has awarded 57 high school scholarships and 10 University scholarships.  To date, 33 of our scholarship students have graduated from high school and of those, 42% have gone on to University. Over the years, most of our scholarship students have been directly sponsored by individual donors. Fifteen sponsors are currently active in the program. Despite the success of our sponsorship program, we still need sponsors.  The annual cost of a scholarship for the 2015 -2016 school year is $600 USD for all students who commute from Barron. University scholarships vary with the cost of the chosen curriculum, anywhere from $700 USD to $1200 USD per academic year. The money is awarded to the students only after they submit their quarterly report cards that reflect at least a “B” average. Students who do not achieve a “B” average go on probation. They out of the program if the average does not recover by the next grading period. Students need support until they graduate, normally a three year obligation, but that is not a mandate. No matter how much you contribute, you will be supporting qualified, motivated students in their quest to better themselves and their community. Make your payment to FOB CANAM AC please send a check made out to “FOB CANAM AC” (it has to be exact) to either Dale Lyster (Condo 1117) or Dick McGuire (Condo 1105/1106). In return, you gain contact and perhaps friendship with a local family. Or just donate!

For the current academic year, we still have six high school kids who lack a sponsor. 

Alondra – Sponsored by Ken and Jan Clarence

Age 14

Alondra graduated the Barron middle school in June, 2015 with a “A” average. Based on her grades and the the quality of her essay, she was accepted into the scholarship program in August, 2015. Now fifteen, Alondra is currently enrolled in high school in Mazatlan.

In her essay she writes:

“I really need this scholarship because there are three kids in my family. I am the oldest. My family doesn’t have much money. My father is a day worker in the fields and my mother does not work because one of my sisters has special needs and my mother has to care for her. She used to attend a special education school in Mazatlan, but for lack of money, she has to stay home. I have big dreams to be a school teacher and maybe even through my education to get a doctor’s degree. I am not certain what I want to study but nursing and psychology are high on my list.

Rodolfo – Sponsored by Bill and Jayne Jackson

Age 14

Adolfo graduated in June with an “B+” average. He now attends high school in Mazatlan.

In his five-page essay he writes:

If FOB offers me this scholarship, it would be my only opportunity to continue my studies and ultimately meet my objectives. There are five kids in my family. I have two little brothers; one that is 1 yr old and another that is two. We are a family that lives day-to-day. My father does not have a salary. We get by on the little bit of money that my father makes. It makes me really sad because many times there is not sufficient money to pay the basic costs of living. My father has a really hard time supporting the family. And for these reasons I see the importance of education for myself because someday I want to get ahead. I’ve never had the opportunity to receive any kind of help with my studies. And if you award me this scholarship, I promise I will not fail. Ultimately I would like to enter University and become a Naval Engineer.

Jesus Abraham – Sponsored by Glenn Long & Bette Millar Long

Age 15

Jesus graduated with his class in June and now attends high school in Mazatlan. He likes to play baseball and he wants to become a veterinarian.

In his essay he writes:

 I’m a very responsible person. I have always made good grades in school. I know that going to high school in Mazatlan is going to be a big change for me. But I know I can do it. If you agree to award me this scholarship you have my word that I will work as hard as I can to maintain a good grade average. I, Jesus, promise you that I will finish high school and after high school I would like to pursue a professional career and at the same time, continue to play baseball because I am good at that sport. I want to be a veterinarian because I love animals. I’m disturbed by what I see as many animals face extinction because Humans don’t value the fauna. 

Rosalinda – Sponsored by Dave & Elaine Greiner

Age 15

Rosalinda graduated last June from Barron middle school with an “A” average. She was awarded a scholarship in October, 2015. She attends CONALEP in Mazatlan.

In her essay she writes:

My aspirations are to prepare myself to become what I really want to be. But first I know that I have to finish high school. And only after that can I pursue a University degree in Hospitality and Tourism. Having that degree I can then study to be what I’ve always wanted to be since I was a little girl. And that is, an international chef. I dream of traveling to Madrid, Spain and meeting Omar Pereney, one of the World’s great chefs. I want to also meet a great man, get married and have two sons. I realize that right now at my age, these are all just dreams, but I need to dream. 

All of these scholarships have been awarded on a provisional basis pending our ability to find sponsors for these four kids. All are maintaining a “B” or better average in high school. If we cannot find a sponsor by March, the kids will be dropped from the program. 

The following two students were awarded scholarships in August of 2014 and we have yet to find sponsors for them. Each is in her second year of high school and each is maintaining a “B” or better grade average.

Amiaramy – Sponsored by Sandy Vernon

Age 16

Amairamy likes to play football and volleyball and she wants to be a dentist so that “one day, I can help my parents and my community like FOB does.” She has a straight “A+” average.

In her essay, she writes:

The only way for me to succeed and achieve my objectives to to get a good education. I consider myself to be a kind, sensitive and responsible daughter, and I always try to be one of the best students. My family of five is poor. My parents are farmers and they both work hard when there is work. But they only finished primary school. I have a brother in the fifth grade and another brother in his third year of high school. And now with me in high school, this is a real financial strain on my family. So I really need this scholarship. 

Fatima – Age 16 Needs a Sponsor!

Fatima graduated in June 2014 and was awarded a scholarship in August.  She is a straight ‘A” student coming out of middle school and has maintained high grades in high school. Fatima likes to play football, basketball and volleyball.  She is enrolled in high school in Villa Union.

In her essay she writes;

I want my parents to be proud of me so I can be proud of myself. This scholarship will allow me to finish high school. And with my ability to get good grades, I think I will have a good chance to get into a good University because ultimately I want to become a teacher or a nurse. 

If you have any interest in sponsoring any one or more of these six students, please see Dick in 1105 or Dale in 1117, Estrella del Mar. High school scholarships are $600 USD (50% of total cost) for one academic year. The school years runs from August to June. For more details on the scholarship program, please visit.

Seven new students have been selected to enter the FOB CANAM preparatory school scholarship program for the 2014-2015 school year. These students were selected on the basis of their academic achievement and the quality of their application form. In total, forty students are benefitting from FOB CANAM scholarships. Please click on the “Our Student Scholars” tab at the top of the page to review the status of these students as it has changed. The scholarship program has a few changes as well this academic year. Due to the strength of the US dollar vs the Mexican peso, the cost to support a Barron prep school student this academic year is $700 USD. That is less than $20 a week. For $20, you can enable a student to attend grades 10, 11 & 12 and graduate, many the first in their family to do so. Historically, a significant percentage of scholarship students who complete three years of prep school in our program continue on to University studies. Right now, all three of our University scholarship students from last academic year have successfully competed their first year of study and are still enrolled due to the continuing support of their sponsors. Seven additional University applications are being considered, four of whom are prep school scholarship recipient graduates. Depending upon support from people like you, scholarships will be awarded. Details of their applications will become available after the selection process is complete. The cost to sustain a University student varies from $700 to $1200 USD depending upon their curriculum, approximately 50% of the total cost of education. To be sure, FOB CANAM is the conduit through which those who feel a need to give back to disadvantaged neighbors can achieve their goal. Together, the students’ families and the EDM residents and friends are making a difference in the student’s lives. All for $20 a week. Please consider sponsoring one or more of these deserving kids. They are:

Carolina

Carolina – Carolina is 15 years old and a resident of Mazatlan. She has an excellent academic record with an average of 9.43 and completed her last year of secondary school where she  studied Spanish, English, Math, Science, Technology, History, Civics, Education and Art. Her goal is to become proficient in English. Carolina is Aida Alvarado’s niece and has already found a sponsor in Rene Carlson. In her essay she writes, “I want my family to be proud and to benefit from the career that I have chosen in life and in the kind of work I will ultimately do. My ultimate goal is to help my family progress towards a secure future and to become an independent woman. I want to be able to live my life without having to depend on anyone else. My goal is to become an accountant and a good businesswoman. I’d like to have my own firm and be able to manage the finances of that firm.”

Naydelin

Naydelin – Naydelin is 14 years old and is a Barron resident. She loves to play soccer when she is not in class. She aspires to attend University and pursue her interest in psychology. The only thing preventing her attendance is finances. She is a 9.2 average student and finds her classes easy, with the exception of her English class. Her father works as a farmer and fisherman. Her mother is only able to find work a few months a year. Naydelin needs a sponsor to help her defray the costs of attending school.

Amairany

Amairany – Amairany is 15 years old and likes soccer and volleyball. She wants to be a dentist and aspires to one day help her parents and her community “like FOB does”. She has a perfect 10 GPA. In her essay Amairany writes that “the only way for me to succeed and achieve my objectives is to get a good education. I consider myself a kind, sensitive and responsible daughter. I always try to be one of the best students. My family of five is poor. My parents work as farmers but can only work when there is work. My parents only completed primary school. My brother is in 5th grade and another brother is in 3rd year prep school at UAS. This puts a real strain on the finances of the family.” With the burden of supporting her older brother at UAS, Amairany’s parents need help to send her to school also.

Luis Fernando

Luis Fernando – Luis Fernando is 15 and likes baseball, riding bicycles, listening to music with his family and helping out his grandmother. He has a GPA of 9.9, one of the highest of the group applying this year. He also has 2 older brothers. He is very close to his grandfather and works with him every day. He considers his grandfather his “true father” because his father left when Luis was 3 years old to live with another woman. He writes in his essay, “My examples in life are my grandparents. My mother has worked hard over the past 12 years to keep the family together. My mother and grandparents have instilled in me the importance of education from the beginning. I would like to become a computer science major in college.” The FOB scholarship would really help Luis to pay for his daily transportation costs into Mazatlan.

Briseida

Briseida – Briseida lives in Barron and is 14 years old. Her grades are straight “10s” except for English (6) and Math (7). Her essay was very well written. Her parents have encouraged her from a young age to pursue her dreams. She likes to help people with their problems. In her essay she writes,”I am very proud of my parents because they have worked very hard so I can continue my studies. My parents work as farmers and many times don’t earn enough to pay for my schooling.” She has 2 brothers and wants to be a marine biologist because she loves the sea.

Fatima

Fatima – Fatima is 14 years old, a Barron resident and a straight “A” student. She writes in her essay, “I am a very responsible person in almost everything I do. I am a good worker and I have been able to perform well in almost everything I have dedicated myself to, including my studies. I want to finish secondary school with good grades to make my parents and grandmother proud of me and so I can be proud of myself. If I get this scholarship, I promise to get good grades and to finish prep school. The problem with attending prep school in Mazatlan is that it’s a difficult proposition from an economic point of view, especially the daily transportation costs to and from Mazatlan. This scholarship will help greatly in relieving my family of some of the economic burden of continuing my studies, ” She would like to be a teacher or a nurse and to use her education to contribute to her community.

Jesus Idelfonso

Jesus Idelfonso – Jesus is 15 years old and loves soccer. He has an “A” average after graduating from secondary school in Barron.  He will attend prep school at CETMAR, the prep school for marine related studies. In his essay he writes, “I am a very energetic and enthusiastic teenager. I do well in school and I want to continue my studies but my parents don’t have the resources to help me advance my studies. I want to go to University and become a professional in naval engineering so I can show my parents that I can make something of myself and make them proud. Thank god there are people like you, FOB, to help kids like me achieve my dreams. I think this is the best career for me. I’ll be able to find a decent job and help my parents and people who are less fortunate than me. I understand that in my chosen career, the studies are very difficult. But I don’t think anything is impossible. I think with my enthusiasm I can come out ahead in anything I want to do, achieve anything I want to achieve.”

Again, please also review the biographies of our older students by clicking on the “Our Student Scholars” tab at the top of the page. Most sponsors from last year have chosen to continue their support but a very few have not found it possible this year. Their students need new sponsors in order to continue in the program.