Students Seeking Sponsors

As of December 2012, we have found a new full sponsor for Ana Sofia! Thank you!
Ana Sofia is a student with such superior English skills that her teacher wanted her to skip second grade; unfortunately, Ana had to complete the other academic requirements for second grade too. Regardless, she is always eager to practice her English reading and speaking. Perhaps it has helped that her older brother graduated from Mayatan three years ago. Ana's parents recently lost their business and are now trying to start another one. Because of her need and tremendous academic performance, Mayatan wants to increase her scholarship this year. Ana Sofia already has two generous sponsors who cover part of her tuition, but she still needs an additional $512 for her complete scholarship.

Carlos Alberto is a talented soccer player on Mayatan’s championship team and a solid student. Carlos is, however, seeking a sponsor to help fund his education. He has an older sister who attends the public high school. His father is unable to work due to a chronic respiratory condition, therefore his mother is the family breadwinner. His parents scrimp to pay for books and registration and are able to provide uniforms and meals at school. They are worried that Carlitos will not be able to attend secondary school without a sponsor. We are looking for contributions toward Carlos' secondary school scholarship.

Dulce Maria is one of the brightest, most eager second graders we have, which is no surprise given the house she grows up in. We had been searching for financial support for her for nearly two years when a terrific sponsor from the United States came along and invested in Dulce's future. This sponsor currently supports half of Dulce Maria's tuition. We are currently looking for another sponsor to cover the remaining half.

Elsa Berenice is not only one of the top-performing students at Mayatan, she is one of the top citizens. She is a nice, outgoing girl who lures you into conversation with her dry sense of humor in which she pretends to be very serious but may be concealing a joke.  She also has top English skills. Because of her good scholarship and citizenship, she claimed the honored position of Honduran flag-bearer and led the Independence Day parade last year. Elsa has two older brothers who also attend Mayatan; one is in 8th grade and the other is an 11th grader in our new high school. The family farms in Santa Rita and sacrifices a lot to provide their children with an English education.

Elsa is an extremely bright, vibrant child who is helpful to her fellow students and the kindergarten teacher. Her older sister, Erika, is a seventh grader at Mayatan. They live in Santa Rita with two other siblings and their mother, who teaches English at a public colegio. In Honduras, schools may run in shifts, and their mother carries three shifts to pay for her children's education. As you can imagine with four children and such a heavy workload, things are difficult. Their mother got a loan from the teacher's association to build a house, which she is working hard to pay off, and having her children's educations secured would help tremendously.

Fanny is a model fifth grader. She is responsible, respectful, and a great example to her peers. For example, Fanny is extremely conscientious about the neatness of her work, always turning in a perfect sheet of paper. As you’d expect, she is very organized too. An inquisitive girl, Fanny asks a lot of questions in class. She gets along very well socially, and she excels in English and reading. Fanny’s father works in a car mechanic’s shop, and her mother is a homemaker. She has a sister at the public school, and Fanny feels very lucky to be able to attend Mayatan thanks to her family’s hard work and the support of the school and its friends.

Ileany is a very intelligent and hardworking girl. She picks up concepts very quickly and loves to be challenged. She is creative, expressive and spends much of her free time helping her classmates. She is enthusiastic about Mayatan, even when coming across teachers and staff in the street, and she loves to practice her English outside of school. Ileany’s father works with an aid organization that brings development projects to the villages surrounding Copan, but the salary for his good work is not enough to cover the full monthly cost of attending Mayatan.

Jonathan is a sweet, smiling kindergartener. His teachers notice that his cute little glasses make his eyes look big. Jonathan is often quiet but eager to participate in class, and he is meticulous with his schoolwork. He has good handwriting and likes coloring whenever he has the chance. Jonathan’s father works at the gas station in Copán, and his mother works at home as a seamstress. They could really use your help to keep providing their son with the tremendous opportunity of a bilingual education.

In November 2011, we found support for Jose Adelso's scholarship thanks to a generous grant from the Honduran government for students of indigenous backgrounds. This coming year a generous new sponsor, the mother of a former Mayatan teacher, has promised to support all of Jose's academic expenses. Thank you!

Jose lives in El Carrizal, a small village in the hills 3 miles above Copán. His grandmother walks him down the hill to school every day. When he was younger, she would sit and wait for him until school was out. Given the care that his grandmother puts into his education, it is no surprise that he is such a thoughtful student. He’s conscientious about his studies and especially his books, which he carefully protects from weather, wear, and termite damage. In fact, he loves books so much that he wanted to have a Library Week t-shirt, but didn’t have enough money to purchase one. Undeterred, he carved wooden toys himself and sold them to raise the balance. Jose has a sponsor that covers part of his costs: books, registration, fees, and a part of his tuition. He needs support for meals and the rest of his tuition from someone who cares about students the way he cares about books.

As of December 2012, we have found a new full sponsor for Karledi! Thank you!

Karledi lives in a poor hamlet outside of Copán called Ricon del Buey (Ox's Corner). Her father, Tulio, is a moto-taxi driver, which is a poor living. She is an only child, and her mother, Fátima, has great aspirations for her. Fátima is a community leader. She's worked as a waitress, but recently finished her high school diploma in administration, which she hopes will lead to better work. Both parents are very involved in Karledi's education. They believe in hard work and hard studying and also that, with education, everything is possible. Tulio taught himself some English to help his work with tourists, and he's proud that his daughter has the benefit of learning the language in school and being prepared for a brighter future. Both her parents and the Mayatan School would be very pleased to have donor support of Karledi's scholarship.

Leonardo is a dreamer with an aptitude for math and science, not to mention art, which runs in his family. He has good handwriting to match his drawing skills, and he always turns in perfect homework. His father is a woodworker and painter who made many of the signs at Mayatan. Leonardo’s Dad also makes crafts like mirrors, painted frames, and handcrafted boxes to sell at souvenir shops. His mother is a public school teacher in Santa Rita. Leonardo has a sister in third grade, and we’re proud to host two children from this creative family.

María José comes from Sesemil, an aldea in the mountains several miles above Copán along very rough roads. The family had to move to Sesesmil because of mother's work as a teacher in Malcote, and to take care of mother's father, who was ailing. Despite the distance and troubles like suffering the loss of two children, her father is involved in María’s education. This support helps her through some tough experiences. María José lives with her grandmother during the week to be closer to school. Everyone is working together to give this bright youngster a good start.

Raul Ernesto is an attentive, driven student who is also quite outgoing. His civic and academic talents make him a natural student leader. He loves sports so much that he is always on good behavior so that he can have the full recess time to play soccer. Raul is new to our scholarship system because of his parents’ financial situation. His mother just had a baby and stays at home to take care of it, and his father lost his primary job, as has happened to many in and around Copán. The family runs a small copy shop, but business is slow business of the economy, and they are struggling to pay their son’s tuition. Raul would make any sponsor proud.

Raul enjoys school immensely, and in return Mayatan students and teachers enjoy him. Raul has been described as the “sweetest, most wonderful boy,” hard-working, always smiling, and has lots of friends. He comes from a poor family, but they work hard to contribute as much as they can to Mayatan every month. The family lives in Santa Rita, where Raul’s father is a chauffeur. Raul is looking for a sponsor who can carry him through primary school and onto the successful secondary career that we know he can have.

As of December 2012, we have found a new full sponsor for Sara Jasmin! Thank you!

Sara Jasmin’s parents lost their jobs in 2009 when the Japanese government froze funding for a project they worked on during the political crisis that year. Although the crisis has abated, the support for the project has not returned, and the family continues to suffer the repercussions for events outside of their control. Sara is an excellent student, and her family is truly grateful for the scholarship that will allow their daughter to stay in school. They are very involved in Sara’s education and lead parent meetings. Sara Jasmin’s father had the honor of carrying the flag for the kindergarten during the Independence Day parade because his daughter was one of the top students.

Sofia is a bright and enthusiastic student with who lives with her grandparents in town. Don't let her dry sense of humor give you the wrong impression – although she may seem to be very serious at first, her playful teasing of friends and teachers leaves everyone in stitches. Her mother has remarried and lives in Santa Rita now, about 20 minutes away. Sofia's grandparents, who own a pulperia (a food and general store often located in the front room of a home), are deeply involved in her education, giving her the support she needs to succeed at Mayatan. Sofia would also benefit from the support of a sponsor to carry her into secondary school.