10 Higher Education Students in Laredo earn
Laredo Rotary Charitable Foundation Scholarships
January 2021 will be a month that will long live in the memories of five students from Laredo College (LC) and five students from Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) who applied for and were selected as the first recipients of the competitive Laredo Rotary Charitable Foundation (LRCF) Scholarships. The LRCF $1,000 allocation for each student was matched by an equal amount by LC and TAMIU. The $2,000 scholarships will help the students make substantial progress towards earning their degrees and then assuming meaningful and productive roles in society.
The impetus for the scholarship came from Michael Portman, a former member of The Laredo Rotary Club and now an actively engaged Rotarian in Austin, Texas. Because of his genuine commitment to help LC and TAMIU students obtain a higher education and make a positive contribution to the well-being of individuals in Laredo and beyond, Michael donated $50,000 to The Laredo Rotary Club with the condition that the club match his donation. He also required the club to invest the funds so that the earnings could be used to establish the scholarship without touching the principal. With extraordinary support from its members and the community, The Laredo Rotary Club met and exceeded the $50,000 goal. A group of Laredo Rotary Club members volunteered to work to establish the Laredo Rotary Charitable Foundation to manage all aspects of the scholarship initiative.
The following comment by one of the scholarship recipients exemplifies the impact of the scholarship on the recipients:
Thank you for choosing me to receive this scholarship. I feel extremely blessed, since this scholarship will help me pay for my college classes and buy a printer. Thank you for believing in me and the other students selected to receive this scholarship. We are really trying to earn our degrees to help make this world a better place. Your support and that of the other amazing people who work on this project means a great deal to me and my family.
The Laredo Rotary Club expresses its sincere appreciation to Rotarian Michael Portman for his unwavering humanitarian service spirit to initiate this significant project. The Board of Directors of the Laredo Rotary Charitable Foundation looks forward to collaborating with interested individuals and organizations to ensure the permanence of this scholarship fund.
Questions and requests for additional information about this scholarship can be directed to Roberto Vela, LRCF President, at r_velaslajas@hotmail.com.