BECAS VALLARTA'S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
In late August each year all scholarship students meet at Los Mangos Library (designed pro-bono by former scholarship student Salvador (Cachi) Pérez) with the all volunteer members of Becas Vallarta, A.C. (The America-Mexico Foundation, Inc.). Mariel de 
Fregoso, the President of Becas Vallarta, talks with each group, junior high, senior high and university, praising them for their past good work and reminding them of the obligations they accepted when they won their coveted Becas Vallarta Scholarships. Two other meetings are scheduled for everyone during the year, a Christmas Party in December and a meeting which includes new students and their parents in June.
In order to qualify for a scholarship a student must live and attend public schools in the Puerto Vallarta area, show real financial need which is verified in the schools they are attending, maintain a grade point average of 8.5 (of a possible 10), attend required meetings with the foundation members, be good citizens in the school and community and help with foundation functions when asked. But once a student has earned a scholarship, the foundation pledges to continue financial aid until the educational goal is met as long as she or he continues to fulfill the prescribed 
obligations.
At the August meeting all junior high scholarship students receive certificates (in lieu of cash) to take to local stores to buy their school shoes, uniforms, gym clothes and tennis shoes. At this meeting they are also given all of the school supplies needed for the year - - - paper, pencils, pens, dictionaries, calculators, notebooks and more. Another former scholarship student, Maestro Hector Ulloa, a long time teacher in Vallarta's public schools and the owner of two book stores, Papelería Los Profes #1 in Palos Secos and #2 in Bobadilla, gets the school's required lists of needed supplies and with the help of his son, packages everything and brings what looks like a truck load to the library each year. Naturally he gives the foundation a price far below what we would pay in regular stores. The school year cost for each junior high student is approximately $160 US.
Each of the 14 junior high schools with which we work, has a foundation member who is responsible year round to work with the directors of the schools, the social workers, the students and their parents. Pat Bendix, Linda Azcarate and Blanca Ortiz are the members who, during the school year, make many trips to the schools, pay close attention to the student's grades and what is happening in their lives that might affect their ability to complete their schooling.
Students in all high schools are supervised by President Mariel de Fregoso and in all Universities by Buri Gray. They work with individual students, advising, listening and giving the annual stipend in installments. Each school year senior high students receive $550 US and university students receive $700 US which they may use for whatever cost is most pressing - - - registration fees, books, clothing, transportation, food.
In addition to working with the students, foundation members are always working to raise money to pay for those scholarships. The need is great as we not only want to sustain the girls and boys we now have in the program, but hope to bring in even more.
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