The financial support is made possible by the Benito Massó Scholarship Fund for Afrodescendants of Puerto Rico, established by the Community Foundation.
San Juan , Saturday, February 22, 2025 | In order to support and stimulate the development of their studies, the Puerto Rico Community Foundation announced today that 42 Afro-descendant students from 17 villages in Puerto Rico received a supplemental scholarship of Benito Massó Scholarship Fund for Afrodescendants of Puerto Rico. Each student received $1,500 for the 2024-2025 academic period, a philanthropic investment totaling $45,000.
The group of students, composed of 25 women and 17 men, is studying a diversity of post-secondary careers, some of these are: Engineering, Social Work, Sustainable Agriculture, Music, Education, Modern Languages, Psychology, Nursing, Video Game Design and Development, Biochemistry, Accounting, Biology and Biomedical. In addition, they reside in: Aguas Buenas, Bayamón, Caguas, Carolina, Ciales, Dorado, Florida, Juana Díaz, Loíza, Moca, Ponce, Río Grande, San Juan, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Villalba and Yabucoa.
“This scholarship not only represents financial aid, but also recognition of the effort, dedication and goals I have achieved throughout my academic career,” said one of the scholarship recipients, Norberto Y. Santiago Vazquez, She is a first-year Biochemistry student at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Ponce Campus. “Being Afro-descendant is part of my identity and this achievement shows that our history is not limited to what we have lived, but to what we are building. Breaking barriers, moving forward and proudly representing who we are is part of the process,” added Santiago Vázquez.
From 2019 to 2024, the Fund awarded 68 scholarships to young people of African descent in Loíza. In 2024, its reach was expanded to the rest of Puerto Rico, so that other Afro-descendant students would have this opportunity, sustained in the pursuit of racial equity.
“It's an honor to know that the effort that my dad at one point started is growing every day. The fact that it has expanded to the rest of the Island I love it because, yes, we know that Loíza has a lot of need and there is a large community there, but it's not just there. So I am very grateful for all the effort you are making and very honored that this has been all in my dad's name,” she said. Becky Massó, Benny Massó, daughter of Benny Massó, during a symbolic scholarship award ceremony, which took place today during the meeting. Racial Equity Builders Dialogue 2025, held by the FCPR and its REBIA program, since last Thursday, in San Juan.
The new scholarship award -the first for the entire Puerto Rican archipelago- brings the Fund's impact to 98 scholarships.
“The good reception of the expansion of the scope of the call for applications confirms the need for opportunities like these to continue to exist for Afro-descendant students. The Fund is a helping hand on the road for each of these people who seek to improve their quality of life and contribute their knowledge to the country. We thank each of the donors who have contributed to make this Fund a reality,” said the president and CEO of the FCPR, Dr. Nelson I. Colón Tarrats, M.D..
A total of 71 students applied for the scholarship. The evaluation process included compliance with eligibility requirements and analysis by two evaluation committees. Of the 42 students, 30 were awarded the scholarship for the first time and 12 are renewals.
The Fund has been nurtured by an initial contribution from the FCPR Board of Directors, followed by the support of Hispanics in Philanthropy, Marguerite Casey Foundation, AMGEN Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Peter Alfond Foundation and members of Benny's Circle of Friends. If you would like to join this effort, you can click on the Donate button at www.fcpr.org and choose the name of the Fund. You may also call 787-721-1037 or write to becasydonativos@fcpr.com.
The Fund celebrates the life of Massó, writer and psychologist, and gives continuity to his work in Loíza, where he was a member of the initiative's Community Council. Boys & Men of Color of the Obama Foundation, promoted by the FCPR to encourage the youth of Loíza to reach their full potential - Massó's participation joined other efforts to achieve equality and dignity for the Afro-descendant movement. To continue to honor Benito Massó's work in Loíza and the FCPR's commitment to this community, a portion of the funds are earmarked for students from this largely Afro-descendant coastal municipality.