SAN ANTONIO – The Community for Life Foundation is marking its 25th anniversary by continuing its mission to ease the financial burden of higher education for local students, having already awarded approximately $1 million in scholarships to date.
Executive Director Lawrence Scott and former scholarship recipient Alexia Barrera discuss the foundation’s impact and the opening of new scholarship applications.
The foundation aims to provide lasting support for students in the greater San Antonio area. According to Scott, the organization has supported roughly 450 students over the last quarter-century.
“The mission was to make sure that we defray the high cost of education,” Scott said. “We make sure that students are not just going to college to get a great job, obviously, but then when they finish and they graduate, they make an impact in the community.”
Scott’s connection to the foundation is personal; he was a scholarship recipient himself in 2003 before eventually joining the board and becoming the executive director.
Barrera, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, credited the foundation with allowing her to focus on leadership and extracurricular activities rather than financial stress. During her time at UT, she performed in the marching band, competed on a mock trial team, and founded the UT Latina Network.
“The scholarship helped me in my first year… to kind of just take care of some of those costs that a lot of college students unfortunately have to go through,” Barrera said. “Anything from books to tuition fees to even parking fees… helping alleviate some of that pain so that way I could go and enjoy my time and make something of myself.”
The foundation offers scholarships for undergraduate students under the age of 26, as well as opportunities for graduate and law students. Applicants are required to provide two letters of recommendation and a 250-word essay.
Scott emphasized that the foundation looks for “stories of resilience” and individuals who are motivated to give back to their community.
Interested students can find application details and more information on the foundation’s website at www.cflfoundation.org.