The Western Union Foundation is proud to support Gabriela’s educational journey with a scholarship as she works to restart her career and build a more prosperous future in America.
Gabriela is a hardworking student, wife, and mother who knows the value of higher education, in large part because of the strong influence from her own mom. Gabriela was born and raised in Bolivia and was encouraged by her mom to focus on education as a pathway to a more prosperous career and future. “Women of my mom’s generation in Bolivia had very limited access to education and professional jobs… even less so if they were single mothers like my mom,” Gabriela shares. “My mother worked hard to provide for me, and at the same time made sure that I was able to attend college.”
Gabriela excelled in high school and became passionate about architecture and construction. She worked as an Architect of Historic Preservation in Bolivia when she made a big decision that changed her life. “It was five years ago that I made the life-changing decision to leave my home country, family, and career behind so that I could join my husband and move to the United States,” Gabriela said. “We’ve since been blessed with a beautiful baby girl, and I went back to work so that I can help provide for our family.”
Gabriela quickly realized that the best way to support her family was to restart her career in architecture and construction, and decided to pursue a degree in Construction Project Management at Metropolitan State University in Denver.
“As you can imagine, going back to school at my age, after becoming a mother, and in a foreign country has had plenty of challenges. It’s truly a blessing and honor to be awarded a Western Union Foundation scholarship. I would like to share with other immigrant college students that no matter how old we are, no matter where we come from, going to school is a great step in achieving our dreams.”
The Western Union Foundation has awarded 70 scholarships for international and immigrant students for the 2023-2024 school year. Click here to learn more about the Foundation’s scholarship programs and awardees.
