GROW Scholar Highlight: Meet Brittany
The Scholarship Program
Poverty and wealth inequality are significant challenges in Mexico. About 18% of the country lives in extreme poverty, and among rural communities, school dropout rates, absences, and grade repetition are serious problems.
These issues are seen in settings like Cerro de Ortega, one of the communities where a lot of our scholars live, where there is a higher incidence of violence and drug abuse.
In this type of setting, children are often encouraged to start contributing to family finances rather than continuing school. This is because school means more expenses such as: internet access, commuting, uniforms, and school supplies.
Through the program that is administered in conjunction with Project Amigo, students and parents learn to understand the value of education and a pathway for a better future early on. The retention rate for those proceeding to middle school is 87% compared to 65% for those who do not participate in the program. Similarly, students from Cerro de Ortega who have been supported through GROW show a higher level of advancement to university than any other area of the state.
Meet Brittany
Brittany is excited to finish high school next year. She lives with her parents and two younger sisters. Her father works as a construction worker in the banana growing region of Colima.
The GROW Scholarship Program has taught Brittany many lessons and allowed her to grow in her scholastic and personal life. “I am very happy to be part of this association. It allows me to continue studying.”
Through the GROW Scholarship Program Brittany aspires to make a positive difference in her community, “the program has taught me to be more responsible, humbler, and more helpful to others and my community.” To achieve this, her goal is to study political science at university and apply this in her career in the state of Colima.
As a GROW Scholar, Brittany is responsible for maintaining a GPA higher than 8.5, performing 10 hours of community service each month, and attending homework club.
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