Meredith College Selected for 2018 IME Becas Scholarship Funding

Meredith College has received a grant from IME Becas Local Committee (Institute for Mexicans Abroad) to provide scholarships to students of Mexican origin.

This continuing partnership was formalized during a signing ceremony held at the Mexican Consulate in Raleigh on December 7, 2017. Director of Financial Assistance Kevin Michaelsen accepted the grant on behalf of the College.

This is the fifth year Meredith’s grant proposal has been selected for funding through IME Becas. The College was one of nine educational institutions from North Carolina and South Carolina selected to receive funding in 2017-18. More than 550 students across two states will benefit from this year’s funding.

Three IME Becas scholarship recipients represented Meredith College at the event. Maria Ariza-Rodriguez is a senior in majoring biology and Spanish, Karla Salgado is senior majoring in biology and chemistry, and Maria Mosso is a junior majoring in biology and nutrition.

Each student expressed her gratitude for the IME Becas scholarship. The students spoke about their experiences at Meredith College and the ways that the scholarship has supported their educational endeavors.

Ariza-Rodriguez shared how her mother encouraged her to pursue her education, and about the opportunities she’s taken advantage of at Meredith.  These include volunteering with medical brigades in Panama and Mexico. “These experiences helped to foster my dream to become a nurse,” Ariza-Rodriguez said. “This would not have been possible if I had not been at Meredith College thanks to the support of [IME Becas]. I can’t say thank you enough.”

Salgado spoke about how the scholarship has empowered her as she works toward her goal to work in the medical field.  “Meredith College has challenged me not only in the classroom, but also in facing challenges in society,” said Salgado. “The IME Becas fund has provided a strong foundation and it is inspiring to know that my educational dream is supported by the Mexican government.”

Mosso plans to attend medical school, and she has the goal of using her degree to support her community. “I want to go back and help, and to be an example that if you put in the work and earn your education, you can become whatever you want to be,” Mosso said. “I thank you for investing in my future and in my family.”

During the ceremony, the Consul General of Mexico in Raleigh Remedios Gomez Arnau announced that thanks to matching gifts from the institutions selected for the grants, IME Becas was able to provide more than $1 million in educational support in the Carolinas.

The consul general emphasized the importance for previously funded organizations like Meredith College to continue being part of the program.

“It is important because students of Mexican origin know that this institution can have funds allocated to help them,” Gomez Arnau said. “I am very happy for all the students who will be receiving these funds for 2018, and we encourage everyone to continue collaborating with us to help the community to increase their education at all levels.”