Victor Garcia Memorial Scholarship
Born in Mexico City, Victor Manuel Garcia Perez came to the United States in the 1960s and obtained a doctoral degree in Latino American Studies from the University of Missouri. After moving to Ohio as a faculty member at Antioch College, he dispersed his knowledge for more than forty years and inspired multiple generations of students who became advocates of social justice. Victor was not only active within the academic world, but also in the community where he dedicated himself to assisting others, co-founding Del Pueblo, Inc. in 2002. Del Pueblo, Inc. serves the charitable and educational interests of the local Hispanic/Latino community, facilitating positive interactions and activities between Spanish-speakers and the surrounding population through cultural, educational, and social programs and events. Victor García was also an adjunct faculty member in Spanish at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.
As part of Del Pueblo, Inc., Victor personally took community members lacking transportation access to their medical, immigration, and legal appointments at no cost, as well as interpreted and translated for Spanish-speakers, explaining the complexities of navigating a new way of life. Victor spent every day of his life as if it were his last — with energy, optimism, and compassion for others,” according to a statement from Antioch. His passion for life, love, and justice and his strong spirit made him a unique individual who positively touched the lives of many. As a true advocate for Hispanic/Latino rights, he encouraged youth to continue their studies and never give up. Victor knew that a well-informed, educated community will grow and gain strength; therefore, we present this financial support in the name of Victor Garcia to continue his legacy in the belief that knowledge is power, and education will enrich our community for generations to come.
The presentation of the scholarships will be at the St. Therese’s Hispanic Festival on September 9th,2023 in Springfield, Ohio. More details on the time of the award(s) will be given. If you would like to contribute for next year’s scholarship feel free to donate via this link – https://bit.ly/DP-Donate
2023 Victor Garcia Memorial Scholarship Recipients
Awards Ceremony at St. the Springfield, Ohio Hispanic Festival 2023 (September 9th, 2023)
Name: Viviana
High school graduated: Catholic Central High School
College: Wittenberg University
Major: Undecided
What I hope to become when I graduate:
I’m not completely sure what I want to major in or what I want to do career wise but I do know that I want to do something that helps others. I am passionate about helping serve in the community. I want to use the opportunity of going to college for a better life for me and my family. I want this to put me in a position where I’m able to help the ones who worked so hard to care for me. Growing up my dad didn’t have the same opportunities as others and seeing him have to work twice as hard for his family to survive really made me appreciate him and his sacrifices. By graduating from college, I hope to show my father that all of his sacrifices for me to have a better life were worth it. I am the first generation to graduate high school, so going to college is huge for our family. This will help the generations to come to be more knowledgeable and break generational curses. Going to college is not just something to check off the list, this is an opportunity that can help me and others.
How will the scholarship help?
This scholarship will help me because I am paying for college myself and I would like to do it with as little loans as possible. I plan on working as much as I can to pay off the remaining balance after loans and every scholarship I receive helps me focus more on my studies and less on working.
Name: Leonardo
High School: Catholic Central High School
University: Wittenberg University
Major: Physics When I graduate, I hope to become a researcher. I would love to conduct research on the most fascination question on that the universe provides. For example, this summer I have been doing research with my professors on the CP violation in Positronium Decay. Which would help in answering the question why there is more matter than another matter. I would like to solve these types of problems using the math, computer science, and physics that I learned throughout my four years in college.
I love to use the tools and techniques that I have learned throughout my education to solve complex problems. This scholarship will help me during my education by allowing me to keep on continuing my research. The pay for a student research assistant isn’t as high as for a retail worker. It would be more helpful for me to work as a fast-food worker than the student research position there is at the university. Without the scholarship I would go work for somewhere else as much as I can. With the scholarship I would work some other job as well as keeping my student research position. They would split my time. The scholarship would help focus more on my education and future as a researcher.