UTBB Friends is a volunteer group.  It all started in a Spanish class at  Universidad Tecnológica de Bahía de Banderas. A few of us learned that our teacher was donating some of her meager salary to the cafeteria so that hungry students could get a meal.  A donation of a laptop from one of us led to the discovery that top performing technology students don't have their own laptops or computers. That technology gap widens each year and becomes a significant hurdle.    Some students miss class because they can't afford a bus ticket that day. 

Three of us, Bonnie, Stone and Danyele met for lunch in May 2025 and decided to help struggling UTBB students with meals and bus coupons.  We recruited our teacher, Gabriella Robles, and another friend, Kaye Kameron, to join us, and UTBB Friends was formed. We work closely with the university to provide assistance to top students who are struggling to stay in college.   We are now a committee of five providing bus coupons, a daily meal, medical scrubs, laptops, anatomy books, shoes, eyeglasses, stethoscopes, chef uniforms and almost anything a good student needs to stay in school. Generous donations and sponsors provide the funds for the assistance that allows these students to stay focused and motivated on their way to graduation and a bright future.