El Paso Electric Co.
$18,500.00
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
$98,300.00
Trellis Foundation
$100,000.00
Wells Fargo Bank
$25,000.00
After being raised in El Paso, Texas, Gricelda left her hometown to pursue her studies in Denver, Colorado. There she married a man who did not support her decision to get an education. After many year, she found the courage to return to school and obtained her associate’s degree as a Medical Assistant. However, she wanted more in life.
Soon after her graduation and a divorce that left her a...
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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 ...
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Christina Valdiva., is 32 years old and a single mother of four and veteran of the US Army. She came to Project ARRIBA in the summer of 2012, unemployed and struggling to provide for her family. Christina had been accepted into the Registered Nurse program at El Paso Community College, but did not have the means to pay for tuition or school materials. However, with Project ARRIBA’s assistanc...
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While born in El Paso, TX, Zahori Estrada lived in Monterrey, Mexico for several years due to her father’s job. She came back to El Paso at age 17 and graduated from high school. Her parents encouraged her in pursuing higher education and by 2008 she was enrolled in college. However, a year later she became pregnant with her first child and life changed.
While her parents remained supp...
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Maria Rendon was born in Reynosa, Mexico, and raised by her maternal grandparents in the small town of Rio Grande, Zacatecas.
When she was 10 years old her mother brought her to the United States in search of the American Dream. A new culture and language proved to be a barrier. Maria had a difficult time in school due her limited knowledge in such basics as math, science and history. H...
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Angelica Pedregon was born in Tacoma, WA but moved to El Paso, TX at a very young age due to her parent’s military career. With an interest in healthcare, Angelica completed a Medical Assistant (MA) Certificate. In spite of her work as an MA, she still lived paycheck to paycheck and received government assistance. She knew there had to be a better way to support her family.
Angelica con...
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After losing her financial aid due to the 90 credit hour rule, Elizabeth was referred to Project ARRIBA by an EPCC counselor. Following her enrollment into the program and beginning nursing school, Elizabeth’s son passed away. Her son was only 14 years old when he lost his battle with epilepsy, a battle he fought since the age of 10. Project ARRIBA was there for Elizabeth through the grieving a...
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Dara Castro, a single 23-year-old, came to Project ARRIBA in 2012. Dara lived with her parents and two younger siblings. Both her parents worked, however they struggled to make ends meet. When she applied to Project ARRIBA, Dara had just been accepted into the Physical Therapy Assistant program at El Paso Community College. Dara had a passion to work with patients in helping them recover from...
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Belinda Atienzo was born and raised in El Paso’s Segundo Barrio. She graduated top ten percent of her class at Bowie High School, and began college at NMSU, pursuing a degree in nursing. However, due to financial struggles, she was forced to come back home with her parents. With determination to continue her journey, Belinda immediately transferred to EPCC. Working as a tutor/note-taker at the ...
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Javier Perez. is 32 years old, married, and has two beautiful daughters. He came to Project ARRIBA in 2012, and at the time was working two jobs as a medical assistant. Javier wanted to continue his education, but as the sole provider for his family, he did not have the necessary resources to make this a reality. With Project ARRIBA’s financial, educational and social support, Javier complet...
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