A special event was held on August 3, 2021, to recognize the support Meredith College has received from IME Becas (Institute for Mexicans Abroad) through a grant that provides scholarships to students of Mexican origin.

The grant to Meredith provides financial support to allow continuing students, who are classified as seniors for the 2021 year, to persist to graduation.

The campus event emphasized the importance of the IME Becas scholarship.

Valeria Martinez was one of the two Meredith students to speak at the presentation. A senior majoring in social work, Martinez said receiving the scholarship not only supports her academic goals, but it fills her with pride.

“I am proud to be from an immigrant family, to be Mexican, to be a woman. I am proud to be who I am. I am proud to be a recipient of this scholarship because it acknowledges and empowers my origins and respects a crucial part of my identity,” Martinez said. “I would like to truly and deeply thank IME Becas, the Consulate General of Mexico, Meredith College, and the Department of Social Work for providing me and many others with the support to make our dreams and goals possible.”

Melissa Saavedra Castrejon, a Meredith senior majoring in biology, also participated in the presentation. One of the things she spoke about was her pride in being the daughter of Mexican immigrants, while noting the challenges she has faced.

“As proud as I am of my heritage and culture, there are many obstacles that arise from being an immigrant, including financial difficulties,” she said. Support from IME Becas helps her meet expenses including textbooks and the costs for student programs.

Meredith’s grant proposals to provide scholarship funding for students of Mexican origin have been selected for funding through IME Becas multiple times since 2013-14.

“The Government of Mexico, through the Consulate General of Mexico in Raleigh, appreciates and acknowledges the interest of Meredith College to support the personal growth and development of outstanding Mexican students in North Carolina,” Consul General Claudia Velasco said in the grant acknowledgement letter.

Meredith College Provost Matthew Poslusny offered thanks on behalf of the College for this continuing support.

“IME Becas and the Consulate General of Mexico have supported Meredith’s students many times over the last several years,” Poslusny said. “We appreciate that they have chosen to continue this long standing partnership.”

The Consulate of Mexico in Raleigh, with the support of Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Institute of Mexicans Abroad, supports academic institutions and non-profit organizations through the IME Becas program. The program offers economic resources for Mexican students currently enrolled in an academic plan offered by non-profit organizations or academic institutions in the United States in higher education or adult education.