UTBB FRIENDS
They are Mexico's bright future.
Many of the students at Universidad Tecnológica de Bahía de Banderas (UTBB) in Nuevo Nayarit, Mexico, have overcome significant hurdles to attend college, especially those students from our rural communities. These students are succeeding at UTBB - they are A students and they are at risk. These promising young people struggle with transportation costs, with getting enough to eat, and with finding the resources to purchase supplies they need for their career track.
Help us keep them in school.
Carolina, Ximena, Fernando and Francisco
"My name is Marely Carolina Hernández Pérez, I am from the state of Chiapas and I am currently a student in the Medicine program at the Technological University of Bahía de Banderas. Currently, the cost of living is high: expenses for rent, transportation, food, and basic services represent a significant burden. Although my parents make their best effort to support me, their income is limited. My mother makes tortillas by hand to sell, and my father works as a farmer or construction worker depending on the opportunities that arise. I also work at a birria taco stand on weekends to help with my expenses, but even so, sometimes it is difficult for me to cover everything.
Darlene and Monty Deegs are Carolina's sponsors, or "padrinos". They will support Carolina with all required materials, a tablet, meals, medical coats, scrubs and tuition until graduation.
Carolina with her new stethoscope
"Thank you, Monty and Darlene, for opening your hearts to a student who came from Chiapas with a suitcase full of dreams. Thank you for being the instrument through which God shows me that it was worth not giving up. I commit to honoring your generosity by giving my best in every class, in every exam, and in the future, serving my patients with the same love, empathy, and humanity that you show me today." ~ Carolina
Students like Carolina can apply for a scholarship to help with their needs. Learn more about how you can help, or how to sponsor an individual student here.
We are currently looking for a sponsor for another medical student. See below.
Ximena Lisset Esquinca Lomelí, is a medical student at UTBB
Ximena writes: "I do not have a backstory behind my desire and vocation for medicine; I just know that one day I realized it, and there is nothing I want more in the world than to achieve it. Today I write to you with a heart full of gratitude for the opportunity you give me by supporting my studies in the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. I am deeply passionate about the complexity of the human body and how we take for granted how rare and wonderful it is just to exist, move, breathe, feel, love, procreate, and more. I consider myself an optimistic, empathetic, resilient, and extremely hardworking person. My life hasn’t been linear, but every difficulty has shaped my character. I have grown up alongside an exemplary single mother who suffers from fibromyalgia, depression, and chronic dysthymia. Due to her health, our reality has been unstable, constantly moving from house to house and city to city, without paternal support and facing severe financial instability.
Currently, my mother is unable to work due to psychiatric issues, which reduces our income to 60% of her salary. To get by, we rent out a room in our house, and I take on the responsibility of contributing as much as I can. We also have the love of my grandmother who, within her means as a cleaner, has always supported us, reminding me of the value of honest work. My greatest wish and driving force is that my mom and my grandmother no longer struggle in life and can focus their energy on being happy, doing things they’ve always wanted, giving me an education, or at least having the peace of mind that they will lack nothing. Receiving support from UTBB Friends represents the ultimate boost to focus on giving my best to become a good doctor. I promise to honor your trust by finishing my degree with the best grades, always maintaining my academic excellence, and in the future, giving back to the foundation and society everything you are providing me today. Thank you for believing in me, for being part of this miracle, and for helping me one day be part of something bigger."
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Ximena's teachers know she has great potential. She is young woman with a big dream who has her feet firmly on the ground.
Listen to the video Ximena made for English class to get a feel for her personality.
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Information on becoming a sponsor, or "padrino" for Ximena is in the PDF. Learn more about sponsorship here or contact us.
