Padres Líderes and the Mike Garcia Scholarship

Helping First-Generation Students Reach College Attainment

Since 2011, the Mike Garcia Scholarship has helped relieve financial burdens for low-income students and has benefited families like the Morales'. Diego Morales is a 2016 and 2017 Mike Garcia Scholarship recipient, and recent graduate from Humboldt State University. As a child, he participated in BSP's Parent University workshops with his mother, Amparo Gonzalez. Diego credits his mother's encouragement and engagement in the program for his success in college. Amparo, a janitor at Warner Bros. Pictures in Burbank, participated in BSP's Padres Líderes program, where she learned how to be active in her children's educational success while advocating for the needs of her community.

"My mom was like my college mentor in a way. She was one who was constantly letting me know about deadlines, making sure I had the right information to apply." He used the funds from the scholarship to buy his first computer for school. "Before, I would have to get up early to go to the campus library to complete assignments," he says. "Having a computer helped remove the added stress."

Diego recently celebrated his graduation from Humboldt State University, earning his degree in History and Dance. He dreams of one day becoming a dance teacher and giving back to his community. "I've always been really interested in Dance, but it was inaccessible to me due to the cost," he says. "I hope I can give back and make it accessible for other kids who were in a similar position as me."