Selvin (Huehue Scholar)

Lucky (Huehue Scholar)

Lucky and her mother outside of their home. This picture was taken in June of this year. I surprised them and didn't let them know I was coming. Lucky's mother, who is the president of the Guatemalan equivalent of the Parent-Teacher Association, was in the principal's office talking to the secretary when she saw me sitting at the teacher's table. She was shocked to say the least and ran over and hugged me. I went to their home a few days after for pepian, which was so tasty. And those tamalitos...let's not talk about them because it make me wish I had some right now and I'm already feeling a lot of nostalgia. 

Antony (Huehue Scholar)

Antony, his grandmother, Dona Lila, and Antony's little sister outside of their home in San Lorenzo. Antony's mother, who has a severe mental disability, was too embarrassed to be in the picture. When I went over to talk to Antony and his grandmother about the beca that day in June, she was very thankful and kept saying how appreciative they were of the help. They gave me these huge tostadas with black beans, ketchup and mayonnaise. I hadn't had those in a long time. Antony was as quiet as when I left. Extremely shy and still not the best of maintaining eye contact. I think he was surprised and confused that I was back in Guatemala...in San Lorenzo...at his house. His mother recently became very sick and the school, where I worked at and Antony went to prior to graduating, collected money for her stay at a private hospital. I'm still waiting to hear how she is doing. 

A Year's Worth of Updates

I apologize for those who were following and looking for new information on the scholarship fund throughout this past year. The truth is the scholarship fund did not get a lot of outside support as I would have liked. However, the Huehue Scholars received money for tuition and supplies as promised every single month of this past school year. I had some wonderful donations from a few family members and friends which I am extremely grateful for. Six students received full or partial scholarships to be used towards their first year of high school. Todavia no ha pasado nada. We still have at least two more years to go. While it's been very challenging funding the scholarship program mainly by myself (on a non-profit salary), I believe in it. The children that were chosen to be awarded the scholarship have done their part. They have gone to school and worked hard.  I've received their grades throughout the year from the Peace Corps Volunteer who replaced me. The students have done well--just as they had during Basico (middle school). One year down...at least two more to go. I have some adjustments to make and have confidence that God will give me the wisdom, strength and confidence to make things happen. With the help of God, I'll continue to provide the necessary funds so that these six children can continue and complete their second year of high school. 

UPDATE: Donate Now!

A great update for you all! I will be taking Paypal donations through the website now. As you can may have read in the most recent posting, funding was challenging. The money for the scholarships was mainly out of my pocket. I think some people who were possibly interested in donating did not feel comfortable sending a check or felt it was more convenient doing it via a service like Paypal. Now, this will be the best way to donate. While Paypal does charge a small amount, it will definitely be the easiest way to donate to the scholarship fund. I will be able to take the money and then send it via Money Gram. ALL funds will go exclusively to the students. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact me at: huehuescholars@gmail.com or nightingalean@gmail.com. Thank you!


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If you are interested in making a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION, write a check to Friends of Guatemala and send it to:


Friends of Guatemala
P.O. Box 33018
Washington, D.C., 20033
*"Huehue Scholars-Cat.II" must be written in the memo. 


Friends of Guatemala is a non-profit organization that has been working with Peace Corps Volunteers in Guatemala for years, allowing children and youth to continue their education and improve their lives. Friends of Guatemala or FoG, as it is also known, provides scholarships and also serves as medium to collect and distribute donations. 


Checks are the only payment method available currently. PayPal charges for its services, thus, to ensure that all donations go to the students, we are not using PayPal as a payment method. 

Huehue Scholar, Lucky and me, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Anna Nightingale

Meet the Scholars 2011

Antony (far left); graduate from INEB San Lorenzo

Antony is 14 years old and graduated from middle school this past October at the top of his class. He plans to study accounting at a private high school in Huehuetenango. He is a shy young man but is an extremely hardworking and motivated individual that has been able to overcome many obstacles in his life. He comes from a very low-income family where his grandmother is the sole provider for him, his younger sister and his mother who suffers from a mental disability.

Antony needs approximately $520 to continue his studies at the private school of his choice.

Lucky (far right); graduate from INEB San Lorenzo

Lucky is 15 years old and also recently graduated from middle school at the very top of her class. She plans to go to high school to study elementary education. Lucky comes from a family of 6 brothers and sisters of which she is the youngest female. Her father passed away when she was a toddler and since then her mother has supported the family by washing clothes by hand. Lucky has earned top grades and participated actively in her church, school clubs and summer camps.

Lucky needs approximately $520 to continue her studies at a private school of her choice. 

Melvin (front and center); graduate from INEB San Lorenzo

Melvin is 15 years old and graduated from middle school this past fall at the top of his class. He plans to study to become a teacher and go on to get a Bachelor's degree. He loves sports and drawing and has been a great role model for his peers. Melvin is an amazing, charismatic young man that gives his best to everything he does. He is a deserving individual that takes his studies very seriously and is sure to succeed in high school.

Melvin needs approximately $120 to continue her studies at a public school of his choice. 

Vanessa (middle); graduate from INEB San Lorenzo

Vanessa is 14 years old and graduated from middle school this past fall at the top of her class. She plans to study education at the local public high school. Vanessa is a sweet and introspective young lady that loves art and writing. She comes from a single-parent home and lives with her mother and four other siblings in a rural community.

Vanessa needs approximately $120 to continue her studies at the local public high school.

Selvin (front and center); graduate from INEB Chimusinique

Selvin is 18 years old and recently graduated from the middle school of the community I lived in. Throughout his middle school career, he received top honors for his grades. He is an intelligent and studious young man. He is also on the city's youth cycling team and has competed in races throughout the country. Selvin would like to study accounting and business management. He hopes that his studies will allow him to start his own small business and help his family financially.

Selvin needs approximately $520 to continue his studies at a private school of his choice. 

Oneyra (front and center); graduate from INEB Chimusinique

Oneyra is 17 years old and from a poor rural community in the hills of Huehuetenango. She recently graduated from middle school and hopes to continue her high school studies to become an preschool teacher. As a student, she was always a hard worker, going above and beyond what was expected of her. Oneyra hopes to be like some of the teachers she has admired over the years, providing quality education and helping young children fulfill their dreams.

Oneyra needs approximately $520 to continue her studies at a private school of her choice. 

Huehue Scholars 2010

Esdras Samayoa (above)
Second year at Instituto Nacional Mixto Alejandro Cordova


Esdras is 16 years old and recently finished his first year of high school where he is studying to become a teacher. Esdras is a thoughtful and resilient young man. He is a hard worker and is committed to being successful in his studies and life. Every semester in 2010, Esdras would contact me to show me his report card and let me know his progress. At one point, Esdras was scoring a bit low in two classes and he was very worried that he was dishonoring the individuals that had given him this great opportunity. I assured him that I nominated someone who I truly believed in. With some needed one-on-one attention, Esdras was able to raise his scores. Not only is Esdras committed to his education, but he is constantly looking to help his classmates and community. Esdras has been nominated for a scholarship renewal for the 2011 academic year.

Marvin and Doris Velasquez (left and right respectively) 
Second year at Instituto Nacional de Educacion Basica Aldea Chimusinique


Marvin and Doris are siblings from a rural, indigenous community near Huehuetenango. Marvin and Doris are great students that ask questions and go the extra mile to turn in quality work.  At the beginning of the 2010 academic year, Marvin and Esdras stopped coming to classes. Their little sister had to have a serious operation, leaving the family with costly medical bills and forcing Marvin and Doris to stop coming to school because they couldn't afford the transportation and supplies for homework projects. Furthermore, right around the time that this happened, their father was in a tragic accident were he was left bed-ridden for several months. Through the generous donations of friends and family, I was able to provide two small scholarships for them to continue their studies. In October 2010, the siblings finished their first year of middle school with good grades. They hope to continue their studies this coming school year.

Candidate Selection

The Huehue Scholars awards scholarships to middle school students that meet the following requirements: 

1) They must have financial need and come from a low-income family.

2) They must have high academic standing and have plans to continue their studies. 

3) They must have a positive attitude and behavior towards their classmates, teachers, parents and community in general.

4) They must demonstrate leadership.

5) They must commit to planning and carrying out a small community service project that will directly benefit youth and/or their community. 

The candidates are recommended by their respective teachers and principals. Students are then asked to write responses to four essay questions pertaining to their current situation and future aspirations. As the Peace Corps Volunteer that worked actively with each youth, I made the final decision, taking into account the teachers and principals' suggestions, the above requirements and the youth's responses.

School Costs

Please see the school costs below and donate generously.

School Costs
Costs	Public High School	Private High School
Enrollment/Tuition/School Fees	$20	$40 (E)         $40/month=$400/year (T)
Supplies and Additional Projects	$60	$40
Typing/Computer Class	NA	NA
Uniform	$40	$40
Total/Full Scholarship:	$120	$520

In Guatemala, the majority of high schools are private and very costly to most Guatemalan families. These private high schools, however, offer a variety of "careers" or vocational routes. In Huehuetenango, there is approximately only one public high school where students can choose to study teaching or public administration. With a high school degree, a Guatemalan can obtain a job as a teacher, clerk, accountant, etc. 

History of the Huehue Scholars Scholarship Fund

Guatemala is a country that boasts a wealth of natural resources and a diverse cultural heritage but the majority of its population lives in poverty. The ill effects of poverty can be seen in all aspects of everyday life for Guatemalans, including education, which is vital to reducing poverty. Your help could significantly change the course of a youth’s life, providing a student with a scholarship to either stay in middle school or continue his/her high school education.

In Guatemala, the average schooling is 4 years. Only 3 of 10 students graduate from middle school and even less attend high school. Deficiencies in educational quality, strongly related to poor teacher preparation and insufficient resources, lead the majority of children to drop out before sixth grade. Also, many families cannot afford school fees or the opportunity costs of keeping children in school when they could instead work to help the family’s income. Scholarships are based on financial need and academic standing, as well as participation in community service.

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I worked with 550 students in two middle schools in the outskirts of Huehuetenango, in a town of 8,000 in the western mountains of Guatemala where coffee growing, agriculture and small business provide the main income. My students have reached the highest level of education of anyone in their family, and that is merely traversing middle school. They come from rural homes where it is a struggle to provide them with basic necessities like food, clothing and schooling. 


When I first arrived in my Guatemalan community of Aldea Chimusinique, I knew that I wanted to start some form of a scholarship fund. By talking to students, their parents and teachers and other community members, I quickly began to realize how many students were not able to continue their studies, often times having to drop out of middle school mid-school year because their families do not have the financial means to provide for them. 


For many years, Peace Corps Volunteers have been able to help children and youth continue their middle school and high school studies through the Washington DC-based organization, Friends of Guatemala, which provides scholarships as well as serves as a medium to collect and distribute donations. In late 2009, I nominated one of my students and he received a scholarship for approximately $250 for the 2010 academic year. Through generous donations from family and friends, I was also able provide two small scholarships for siblings whose father suffered a tragic accident. This coming school year, I hope to provide scholarships  for 6 very deserving young people.