Preparing Future Generations

Santiago, Chile. April 2024.

Back in Santiago, Friends UC board participated in two activities: the Cristóbal Conde Scholarship meeting and the Leading the Way Scholarship meeting.

The Cristóbal Conde Scholarship, established in 2013, provides tuition gap and maintenance scholarships to students in vulnerable situations. “This scholarship is very significant. Thanks to the generous contribution of Cristóbal Conde as support to Friends UC Foundation in the United States, there have already been 262 students who have benefited, 62 of them with financial support for tuition fees and another 200 with complementary scholarships for their time at the university. The recipients expressed in this meeting that this benefit helped them study and develop their careers. That’s why it’s important for students to learn about the possibility of applying for this scholarship,” affirmed the Provost for Institutional Management at UC, Patricio Donoso.

This year, five new scholarships were awarded, allowing students to focus on their academic learning, providing support for both them and their families.

One of the beneficiaries is Daniela Maldonado, a fifth-year medical student, who was also awarded with the Eulalia Donoso prize, in honor of Cristóbal Conde’s mother, whose life of solidarity and effort was passed on to her children. Daniela appreciated the importance of this benefit. “I am the first university student in my family, and without the support of this scholarship, I would not have had the peace of mind for my studies,” she commented during the meeting lunch.

Likewise, Sebastián Muñoz, a graduate of the Music Institute and current student in the Pedagogical Training Program of the Faculty of Education, expressed his gratitude for the scholarship and showed interest in giving back in the future. “I would love to help other students have a better quality of life, and if possible, support them financially. One of the lessons that the scholarship, and Mr. Cristóbal (Conde), left me is that, if one has the ability to help, one should do so, it’s almost a responsibility,” he declared.

“At Friends, we are proud of this Conde Scholarship because we can say that it is a scholarship given to capable people like you (the students). One sees a student who is doing very well, who has tremendous potential, and I have no doubt that you will do a lot for Chile and for the university,” said Sava Thomas, president of the Friends UC board.

To venture into English

Following the activity, the boards members moved to the Patio de la Virgen at Casa Central for a “Coffee and Donuts” meeting with a group of students who will travel to Philadelphia, United States, in July of this year after receiving the Leading The Way Scholarship.

This initiative, carried out jointly by English UC, and Friends UC, aims to strengthen the knowledge and use of English among undergraduate students from socioeconomically vulnerable backgrounds.

Sebastiano Scarampi, a member of the Friends UC board, enjoyed the opportunity, stating, “One of the things that gives me the most joy in working with the foundation is seeing the enthusiasm of these students who don’t know what they’re getting into, but who can imagine what’s coming, and who can largely develop according to the opportunities they may have in this scholarship.”

Javiera Riveros, a graduate of UC Engineering, attended the event. She was awarded the Leading the Way Scholarship in January 2020 and described how the experience was fundamental for her academic and professional growth, as learning English allowed her to have tools that now have her leading the startup “Bolsolution.” “We need more people like Sava (Thomas), like Roger (Thomas), and like Friends UC, who are dedicated to supporting and making students believe in themselves because, although it may sound cliché that ‘English opens doors,’ I experienced it firsthand, it’s true. This experience not only helped me with my English, which other activities I do in the future also require and which empowered me, made me believe in myself, and that I could do it,” she commented.