Scholarships help prepare educators

Fourteen University of North Georgia (UNG) students of Mexican or Latinx descent will receive scholarships provided by the UNG Foundation and the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta. Recipients are primarily in the College of Education.

Kevin Luna Vaca and Jennifer Galvan-Delgado have been named lead scholars and will each receive $2,500 for the 2024-25 academic year. Other recipients are receiving $1,500 each.

This year's $8,000 grant is matched by $15,000 from the UNG Foundation. Dr. Christian Bello Escobar, director of academic and community engagement in the College of Education, serves as the principal investigator for the grant.

Bello Escobar expressed deep gratitude for the continued support from the Consulate General of Mexico and the UNG Foundation.

"This scholarship program is not only a financial resource but also a vital investment of our region as we strive to become a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), one of the president’s moonshots showcased during Reveille," Bello Escobar said. "By empowering our students, we are cultivating the next generation of educators and professionals, who will inspire to lead with cultural awareness and a commitment to their communities. It’s an honor to be part of a program that supports such dedicated and passionate individuals."

As part of the program, scholarship recipients also receive the following benefits:

• Being paired with a UNG faculty or staff mentor, as well as peer mentorship.
• Taking part in a leadership program with community service opportunities.

Inari Encarnacion, a senior from St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is pursuing a degree in elementary and special education. She transferred from Agnes Scott College after deciding teaching would be a better path for her than becoming a lawyer. She said the IME-BECAS scholarship will help her finish her degree.

"The program allows us to be more involved in the university," Encarnacion said. "It's good to be able to meet other people in our education cohorts."

Imelda Razo, a senior from Gainesville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in middle grades education, is part of UNG's teacher candidate residency program, serving as a teacher at Gainesville Middle School West for the 2024-25 academic year.

Seniors in the teacher residency program are full-time teachers of record with their own classrooms, receiving at least half the salary of a full-time educator. They are not eligible for full salary because they do not have a baccalaureate degree. They do receive benefits, including admission to teacher retirement. Students apply for the program in the fall semester of their junior year and are selected in the spring of their junior year.

Razo said she is inspired to show others they can be teachers.

"We need more Hispanic teachers. We need that representation in the community. I want to be part of that legacy," Razo said. "I want to be able to represent my community and empower future generations."

Galvan-Delgado, a senior from Cumming, Georgia, pursuing a degree in environmental spatial analysis, previously earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in management from UNG in 2023 but came back to follow her passion for the environment. She is one of the IME-BECAS lead scholars. As a first-generation college student, Galvan-Delgado knows she can make a positive influence on others.

"It's hard to find that support system sometimes. So it's very exciting for me to be able to help others by sharing my experience," Galvan-Delgado said. "I'm eager to see what this new year brings, meeting all these new people and giving back what I can to the school."

The grant is funded through the Institute of Mexicans Abroad (IME) via the IME-BECAS Program. "Becas" is the Spanish word for scholarships. This year the UNG scholarship program continues to be a collaboration between the College of Education, Strategic Enrollment Management, the Latinx faculty and staff committee, and the Multicultural Student Affairs office.