8.30.21
For many WSU students, college is just a dream without scholarship help
Yarid Pizarro remembers being in the third or fourth grade when he first realized how daunting it would be for him to afford college. That’s when he learned that – unlike American students who can receive need-based federal aid for their education – children of undocumented immigrants aren’t eligible for that crucial assistance.
“I knew I would have to get very good grades and work hard to get scholarships if I wanted to go to college, which was my dream even when I was little,” says Pizarro, whose grandmother brought him to the United States from Mexico when he was just 3.
A Wichita high school graduate with a grade-point of 4.0, Pizarro is now a freshman at Wichita State, thanks in large part to a generous scholarship endowed by Gene and Yolanda Camarena. He plans to major in accounting.
Valeria Paunetto is also an Adelante Scholar, the name selected by the Camarenas for the students who receive their scholarship. Adelante means to move forward or get ahead in Spanish.
Also a 4.0 student in high school, Paunetto came to the United States from Puerto Rico with her parents six years ago. Although they offered to pay for college, Paunetto spent many hours applying for scholarships at Wichita State to lighten their load.
“They always told me an education was the most important thing they could give me, but I didn’t want them to have that burden,” she says. She hopes to become a social worker like her father, who recently got his own degree from Wichita State.
Paunetto and Pizarro are just two of the hundreds of WSU students starting classes this fall with the help of scholarships. Creating more scholarships to help students with financial need is the WSU Foundation’s top priority.
“Thanks to our generous donors, we are providing students with scholarships valued at about $8.8 million,” says Elizabeth King, WSU Foundation president and CEO. “But the need is great, especially as public funding of higher education continues to diminish.”
WSU President Rick Muma also has vowed to take steps to make college more affordable for anyone who wants to attend. One way is to keep tuition stable. Wichita State did not increase tuition this year or in 2019, while a 2 percent increase was adopted in 2020. Additionally, Muma has approved using federal Covid-relief funds to eliminate millions of dollars of student debt, lessening a burden that may make it difficult for some students to stay in college or return.
Pizarro, who works part-time to help make ends meet, is determined to do well in his classwork so he remains a good candidate for scholarship help.
“Without it, I don’t see how I could stay in college,” he says. “I’m really grateful to have my scholarships to attend this school and see where the next four years of my life take me.”
If you are interested in helping WSU students by establishing a need-based scholarship, contact Darin Kater, WSU Foundation vice president, at 316.978.3887 or darin.kater@wichita.edu.
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