You are here » Home » Telling Our Story
Snapshot
USAID program sends
promising students on to
pursue higher studies
College Scholarships Break Rural Barriers
Photo: USAID
Yuri Tecún receives a diploma from
Zamorano authorities after ranking
seventh in class.
“Thanks for believing in me and
for making the difference for
girls from rural areas, like me,
who otherwise couldn’t make it
to the university.”
Yuri Tecún
Yuri Tecún is an exception to the rule. Thanks to a USAIDbacked
scholarship program, she was able to attend university,
unlike many other young girls in Guatemala.
According to the 2002 census, only 2.87 percent of high school
graduates in Guatemala go on to university. Girls make up only
1.26 percent of this group. If a girl happens to come from a lowincome,
rural family like Yuri her chances are even lower.
Like most rural students here, Yuri attended a public high
school with many limitations: her building was made with
makeshift walls and a tin roof; classrooms flooded when it
rained; and teachers and students lacked materials, including
textbooks.
Nevertheless, Yuri made the Honor Roll every year and defied
the odds when she won a USAID|Alianzas scholarship to attend
Zamorano University in Honduras.
During her second year of Agronomy at Zamorano, she ranked
seventh among 240 students from countries throughout Latin
America. Yuri is not only excelling academically but has also
taken on a leadership role by mentoring fellow students and
fundraising for the Maternal-Child Hospital in Tegucigalpa. In
her words, she wants to return a little of all she has received in
life by giving some happiness to children in need.
She also expresses gratitude for the opportunities she has
received through the scholarship program. “Thanks for believing
in me and for making the difference for girls from rural areas, like
me, who otherwise couldn’t make it to the university,” said Yuri.
USAID|Alianzas was started in 2005 in Guatemala to guarantee
permanent full scholarships for students who otherwise could
not afford to attend university. To date, 1,665 scholarships have
been granted – 974 of which have gone to women. Rozzana
Pappa, Zamorano’s elected representative, explained that the
donor fund now stands at $1 million. The program and its
partners certify that 75 percent will go to indigenous students
from rural areas.
Print-friendly version of this page (533kb - PDF)
Click here for high-res photo
Back to Top ^
|
RSS Feed for Recent Telling Our Story Updates
