By Greg Archer | Contributing Columnist
The Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity Fund, or CIELO Fund, is on track to award $107,000 in scholarships to 64 students throughout the region as part of the 2024 CIELO Fund Scholars Program.
This round of funding increases the total investments for Latino scholarships to $230,000. Some 148 students have benefitted from the scholarship fund since 2023.
“Higher education is a pathway for many young people to break cycles of poverty and obtain middle-class careers,” said Jesse Melgar, founder and chair of the CIELO Fund. “The cost of a college degree can be prohibitive for some in the Inland region and with our committee’s $107,000 investment, we are hoping to help dozens of students achieve their educational and career goals.”
The fund is focused on supporting students attending Inland Empire colleges and universities, and an emphasis is on those intending to live and work in the region, Melgar said.
For 24-year-old Steven Serrano, it’s an opportunity to finish his education and work in an important field.
“The CIELO Fund scholarship was very helpful,” Serrano said. “It offers, at least the way I interpret it, that sense of the California Dream in regard to having a higher education. At the same time, it gives back to the community, the region overall, and the whole state within the public system.”
It also ties into the work Serrano is doing. In addition to attending school — he’s working toward a master’s degree in public administration — Serrano works at Inland Regional Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities.
“The scholarship offers me the opportunity to work and obtain my education,” he said. “It has allowed me to focus on paying my rent and books, primarily my tuition for my two years, and to be graduating debt-free without any loans.”
Launched in 2022 as an Inland Empire Community Foundation signature fund, the scholarship supports civic-minded students who want to invest something significant back to the region. Motivation, perseverance and a desire to work for the benefit of the Inland Empire and underserved communities are among some of the qualities considered for potential recipients.
A one-time scholarship award of $1,000 to $3,000 is offered to an accredited four-year public or private institution or a two-year community college within the Inland Empire. Priority is given to graduating students who intend to work in the region.
Scholarships are for tuition, books, education fees, and/or living expenses. All students are welcome to apply, regardless of immigration status. Support for the CIELO Fund Scholars Program comes from the S.L. Gimbel Foundation.
The fund was designed to invest in the region’s Latino community. In addition to awarding $650,000 in grants to 56 Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, three research reports have also been commissioned to better understand the challenges and immense opportunities to drive the Latino community. It also funded the IE Latino Voices project with KVCR.
Since launching, the CIELO Fund has invested $880,000 into Inland Empire Latino communities.
“I’m the eldest one in my family of six,” Serrano said, referring to how his scholarship is making a difference. “In addition to this, my support growing up right here has always been through education, through my teachers, and my parents for allowing me to obtain my education while still being able to support them at the same time, right here.”
Learn more about CIELO Fund at egives.org/funds/cielofund/.
Inland Empire Community Foundation works to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy. Visit iegives.org.
