GRANTS, N.M. – The Fifth Annual Arturo S. Candelaria Memorial Scholarship is given in partnership with and through the Grants High School Scholarship Fund. It is amazing to see that there are so many deserving scholarship applications, however, Ana A. Sanchez Valenzuela’s application and essay spoke directly to our hearts as she embodies everything Arturo stood for: the importance of pursuing a higher education and a commitment to give back to your community through your gift of knowledge and being bilingual.
Arturo’s belief that a higher education and being able to speak more than one language are keys to a bigger and brighter future – not only for oneself but for the beneficiaries surrounding that person. When a high school graduate has the aspirations that Ana has – developing the gift of bilingualism to “break language barriers that affect people’s lives in her own community, especially in the area of healthcare, her community (in this case, Grants, NM) is the greatest beneficiary and she should be recognized and applauded for that, and more importantly, she should be fully supported to realize her goals. In her essay, Ana shares “I have observed many instances where language barriers led to misunderstanding between patients and healthcare providers, leading to misdiagnoses, improper treatment, or patients feeling overwhelmed and anxious.” Ana wants “to be the person who can step in and help clear communication, making sure that patients understand their own health treatment plans, thus ensuring they can advocate for themselves”, which is the greatest gift. She believes that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare – regardless of their language ability. She “wants to be part of the solution”.
Everything about Ana’s current aspirations embodies how Arturo lived his life – always giving back, always supporting those who needed it most. Arturo was a brilliant self-educated man who did not graduate high school but through perseverance and hard work went on to accomplish great things as a dad, a tata, rancher, farmer, miner, Cibola County Commissioner, mentor and teacher who always had great expectations and support for his children and grandchildren as well as for those who crossed his path and needed a hand. When Arturo was young and worked the carrot fields with Filipino colleagues – he learned their language to help them advocate for better working conditions. He learned to speak Navajo to communicate with all his buddies and those he met along the way. He himself served as interpreter at doctor appointments for his own parents whose primary language was Spanish.
He understood higher education was/is crucial and today continues to support those who aspire to reach that goal. Arturo would be beyond pleased to support Ana in his own small way through this scholarship which was created so that he could continue to inspire and support those like Ana, who are willing to learn and grow and share that with her community and who aspire to be part of the solution.
Le deseamos a Ana todo lo mejor!