El Paso Electric Co.
$18,000.00
Hunt Family Foundation
$30,000.00
Pastor Wayne & Joanne Kendrick
$1,000.00
University Presbyterian Church
$6,000.00
El Paso, TX, May 17, 2018– Project ARRIBA, a leader in workforce and economic development in the Paso Del Norte region, is pleased to announce its 35th graduating class …
My name is Bertha Lorena Contreras and I am a Project ARRIBA graduate. I was born in Cd. Juarez and was raised in San Buenaventura, Chihuahua, Mexico. While in Mexico, I completed two semesters of college, married, and had three sons. I decided to come to the states when my marriage ended.
Leaving my hometown was scary for me and my children but I wanted to give my boys a better life. On...
Read More
Veronica knew the only way she could support her family with three small children was to gain a post-secondary education. After completing her prerequisites for the nursing program at the El Paso Community College, she realized that she did not have the resources required to continue on in her studies. On the verge of putting her education on hold, Project ARRIBA partnered with Veronica in 2003...
Read More
Rachel Montiel-Gravlee was born and raised in central El Paso and is a second generation Austin High School graduate. After finishing high school, Rachel enlisted in the Army, finished her time in the service, and enrolled at Kaplan College to train to become a medical assistant. However, wages as a medical assistant were too low and she soon went back to bartending full-time and attending sc...
Read More
Mayte Githinji was born in Chihuahua, Mexico and moved to El Paso, Texas in 2011 when she was 18 years old.
Mayte received all her formal education in Mexico and, as a result, had to learn English prior to enrolling in college. After a semester of English as a Second Language classes, she was able to start her core classes at El Paso Community College (EPCC). There she met her husband who ...
Elizabeth was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. She worked as a substitute teacher and, even though she loved the work, the pay was not enough to sustain her small family. Elizabeth had studied psychology, but later changed her major to nursing after having been impressed by a nurse practitioner who cared for her son at his doctor’s office. She applied to local nursing programs but was eith...
Read More
Jesse Carbajal, is a 24-year-old young man. When he applied to Project ARRIBA in 2012, Jesse was working as a rehab tech and has just been accepted in the Physical Therapy Assistant program at El Paso Community College. Jesse knew he would have to quit his job to devote his time to school but would also not have the means to pay for his tuition. Jesse was also dealing with a trying living ar...
Read More
Maria Medina applied to Project ARRIBA at age 40. She was a single mother of 3 and had reached a point in her life where she wanted to make a positive change for her and her children. Maria heard of Project ARRIBA at an El Paso Community College (EPCC) nursing orientation, applied and was accepted into the program. While in school, she had to stop working as a medical assistant and move in...
Read More
Jessica, the youngest of three children, had a simple upbringing. Her father worked in construction and her mother was a homemaker. She graduated from high school, married and had two children, one of whom was diagnosed with special needs. With no post-secondary education, Jessica worked as bus driver to earn additional income for her family. And after ten years, the marriage ended and Jessica...
Read More
Prior to enrolling in Project ARRIBA, Margie worked at a local medical practice where her boss, Dr. Ugarte, boldly inquired if Margie had ever considered becoming a nurse. The idea of going back to school was daunting and seemed hopeless, especially because Margie was a single mother of two and needed to work to support her family. Nevertheless, she trusted Dr. Ugarte and the idea that he belie...
Read More
Samantha Davis is 23 years of age, married, and has a 4-year-old son. Her husband was the sole provider and earned minimum wage. While they were able to sustain the household, they lived on a very tight budget. Samantha had just been accepted into the Registered Nurse program at El Paso Community College but no longer qualified for financial aid. December 2012, she became a Project ARRIBA ...
Read More
