A Community where everyone has an opportunity to live a good life.
Everything starts with a Dream.
By JUAN LLERENA
Welcome and thank you for your interest in the Vamos! Scholarship initiative.
It starts with a dream, and I am speaking from my own experience.
I am very fortunate to be living in the beautiful state of Minnesota, more specifically in Carver County.
I not only love the natural beauty, but the beauty of its people. There are great things when it comes to living in Minnesota; the infrastructure, schools, roads, health, and education all shine at first glance.
But when you start looking closer and digging into the data available, you will learn that Minnesota does not rank very high in the nation in terms of education, job opportunities, and income (among other indexes). When broken down, the lack of diversity within communities is apparent.
In fact, recent studies have shown that the Educational Gap is still extremely relevant for diverse populations. It is a very complicated yet simple subject to discuss at the same time.
It is complicated because of its dependency on your past experiences and the level of privilege you have enjoyed. It depends on the line of work you perform in and the level of exposure to other realities that may be different from yours. Yes, this is what makes it complicated because everyone can have a different opinion on the same issue.
It is also very simple (okay probably not), but it could be if we chose to see things, act with compassion, and with an open heart (and eyes and ears). We can then realize that, when the life of one member of our community improves, then the life of the whole community improves.
The Vamos! Scholarship initiative is a way to do something powerful by investing in education.
It brings the community together to look for prosperity in talented individuals who lack the resources, support, and encouragement to try their very best.
Education helps people believe that they can achieve their very own dreams.
Little did I know, when we first started this project, that some doors would be opening (and some hearts too!) to grow this initiative.
By working together with people from all walks of life, we can continue shaping and transforming our communities into a place where everyone feels welcome, where everyone has a real opportunity to live life at its fullest, and where everyone wins. People like you, individuals who believe in our proposition of working together and reaching across the table to learn from each other, can make a difference.
We have developed many partnerships with students, teachers, people from the community, local businesses, non profit organizations, and faith groups to gain momentum and touch more lives every year.
I have to thank you for supporting us, for being here, and for wondering how you can help. There are many ways to do that, as you probably have seen on our Vamos! Scholarship website.
As a good marketer, I cannot finish without a call to action:
• If you are an executive from a corporation or a business owner, we are looking to make this a sustainable program for decades to come. Please talk to us to see how we can work together.
• If you are a philanthropist, please consider investing in this initiative. We have great references and are 100% volunteer run, so our overhead is zero.
• If you are a community member or someone involved in a local group or organization, please invite us to share our message with your group. We can always use more volunteers!
• If you are a student, you can help us by getting the word out in your school, at church, and with your friends. You are the future and the future can be bright with you. You can volunteer as well.
***We partner with the District 112 Foundation, a 501(c)3 non profit. All donations are tax deductible.
Life is made of everyday choices, and we hope you choose to join us in the pursuit of this dream. Together we can accomplish anything.
Vamos!
Will you join us ?
Let’s make this dream a reality.