Tequio Program raises $50,000 in scholarships for indigenous students

By: Miguel Hernandez

(Listen to our audio in Spanish and Mixteco)

The Tequio program of the Mixteco Indigenous Project held the annual “Tequio Rising” event, where they revealed that they raised more than 50 thousand dollars in funds for scholarships for indigenous students. At the event, it was revealed that indigenous students from Santa María County and San Luis Obispo will also be able to apply for this scholarship, joining those from Ventura County who were originally the only ones who qualified for this scholarship.

The Tequio scholarship is a resource for the migrant indigenous community. This makes it special because it is designed to help and empower a community that commonly struggles with financial problems, such as the migrant indigenous community. The Tequio scholarship is also a unique resource as it is open to undocumented students.

The event consisted of speakers who have received the scholarships in the past, such as

María López, who mentioned: “Coming home is a beautiful experience. Reconnecting with the youth of Tequio and witnessing the growth of the program fills me with gratification. “I hope more young people recognize the value of this program as it offers a rare sense of family outside of home.”

López also commented on how the Tequio scholarship helped her in college and how college changed her as a person and comments:

“My time at university has equipped me with new experiences and lessons that I eagerly share to inspire others on their educational journey. “The resilience and determination of the current and former youth of Tequio give me hope for a better future.”

The event also brought several thanks to the event sponsors, which were: Edison International, Ventura county Community Foundation, Montecito Bank, and The Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness to name a few.

Tequio was founded in 2010 through talks between community members and leaders. In these talks, community leaders decided to take action on the systemic, linguistic, and social barriers that prevent indigenous youth from excelling in school spaces. This is how “Tequio” was founded to financially help young indigenous migrants so they can realize their dreams of having a university education.

For Tequio, the most important thing is accessibility to essential resources to be successful, and with that they are looking forward to applications for this scholarship from indigenous youth in Ventura, Santa María, and San Luis Obispo counties.