Grant Supports Students of Mexican Descent and International Students from Mexico Pursuing Careers in the Life Sciences

KGI was recently awarded a $35,000 grant from Juntos Podemos/Together We Can to provide support to both international students from Mexico and Mexican-American students who wish to pursue careers in the life sciences industry.

The award, which was specifically granted by the Local Committee of the IME Becas-Juntos Podemos Program for the 2015-2016 cycle, will allow KGI to continue to foster an environment of collaboration and innovation that stems from a diverse student body.

Dean of Student Engagement and Enrollment Services Sofia Toro said: “We are pleased and very happy to receive a $35k scholarship from Juntos Podemos, which will provide opportunities for students from Mexican descent to access their graduate studies. KGI provides great industry options for these students once they complete their degrees. We truly appreciate the scholarship funds, and we will continue to make a difference one step at a time.”

Dean Toro attended an award ceremony, “on November 7,” where recipients were recognized for their commitment to supporting the integration and wellbeing of the Mexican community living in the United States. KGI received the second largest grant among all university and college recipients.

IME Becas was created in 2005 to help raise the educational levels of the Mexican and Mexican-origin population living in the United States. Initially, its mission focused on supporting social organizations and educational establishments that offer courses in adult education: literacy, General Education Development (GED), computer training, job training, and English as a Second Language (ESL). However, since 2010, the program has diversified to offer scholarships to target the Mexican and Mexican-origin university population. The goal has been to provide the means to fund academically outstanding students who wish to complete their studies in universities and community colleges in the United States.

IME stands for Institute for Mexicans Abroad, which operates programs that promote immigrant integration and wellbeing. IME as an institute operates health, education, financial literacy, and civic engagement programs. One of its programs is IME Becas, which is a scholarship fund operated by the Institute and funded by the Mexican government and private donors.

Since IME Becas was created, the Government of Mexico has granted 10 million pesos annually to nonprofit social organizations or educational institutions with education and training programs or support to higher education for Mexican immigrants interested in starting, continuing, or completing their studies.

Juntos Podemos/Together We Can is the result of more than 15 years working with the Mexican community in the United States. Since the development of the 3 x 1 program to leverage remittances, Josefina Vázquez Mota has been deeply involved with this community to identify their needs and meet their demands. She began while heading the Ministry of Social Development and continued from the Ministry of Public Education and the House of Representatives up until writing the book El sueño que unió la frontera: Mexicanos que triunfan en Estados Unidos (Ariel, 2013).

Juntos Podemos/Together We Can is a program made up of five organizations: Parents Alliance, Latinos Together, Siempre México, Integra Institute, and Unidos en Salud. These organizations are responsible for collecting and allocating the needed funds for the program’s operation as well as the programs supported by Together We Can.