Announcing The Francisco and Laura Jimenez Breaking Through Scholarship!

October 02, 2016

The Francisco and Laura Jimenez Breaking Through Scholarship at Santa Clara University (SCU)!

It gives us great pleasure in announcing the Francisco and Laura Jimenez Breaking Through Scholarship! We are pleased that this initiative is being co-led by one of our Cultura Ambassador, Josef Castaneda-Liles.

Dr. Francisco Jiménez and his wife Laura Jimenez have dedicated their lives to empowering Latino students and first-generation students from various backgrounds. Coming from humble beginnings as a migrant farm worker, Dr. Jiménez earned his undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University in 1966 and a doctorate from Columbia University. He returned to SCU and led a successful career in teaching, advocacy and writing that spanned more than forty years. He published multiple books that chronicled his experience as an immigrant and first-generation college student that have touched the lives of countless individuals. His wife Laura Jimenez (class of 1967) worked at SCU for 19 years, including her service as the first staff member of SCU’s community-based Eastside Project.

Inspired by the legacy of the Jiménez family, the SCU Chicano/Latino Alumni Chapter is leading the effort to raise $100,000 to endow the Francisco and Laura Jiménez Breaking Through Scholarship, which will support first-generation college students at SCU. Our desire is to honor Francisco Jiménez this year in recognition of his 50th undergraduate reunion. We are pleased to have an initial $25,000 matching gift challenge from an SCU parent inspired by Dr. Jiménez’s story. Please join us in honoring Francisco and Laura’s legacy of service by making a gift to this scholarship. Visit https://mysantaclara.scu.edu/GIVE/Jimenez to learn more and make your gift today.