Higher education for indigenous students in Mexico

We are backfor the new school year and after two and half years of remote  and hybrid learning our students have finally started this school year in-person full-time. We finished last year with all our students completing their school year and returning for the next school year or graduating. As we sat down for our opening talks and events it was odd but wonderful to have a house full once again. We welcomed three new students, all first-year college students. Two are from villages about two hours away from town and one was raised here in town, but her family moved out of the area and she needs lodging to continue her education. 

Two young women who were in our program finished a level of education. Ximena, finished her nursing degree this summer and now heads out for her year of national service. Ximena was with us for two and a half years during her college education and we are very proud of her accomplishments. Ximena was orphaned at a young age and was raised by her maternal grandmother. She is the first in her family to complete a college education. Years of sacrifice and love from her grandmother have paid off. Her goal is to support her younger sister to complete high school and attend college as well.

Jatziri finished her high school. She first in her family to complete high school, and her family is very proud. She is from a small rural village in the northern part of our region. She is taking a year off from school to earn some money for college. She wants to study graphic design, a field for which there is no program in our region. Her family is looking into options for her to work for a while, then attend school in one of the two cities that are about 4 hours distant. She has a younger sister who too dreams of attending high school, as she is only in 6th grade it will be a few years yet. It is wonderful to see our young women as models for their younger siblings and other family members.

As we start our school cycle we are so grateful to all the people, like you, who make this work possible. Without your support, we could not be able to give our young women the chance for a different life through higher education. Please consider talking to family and friends about our programs so that we can continue to expand our work and help more young women reach their dreams.