Get to know 2021’s #LeadingConEducación Scholarship Recipients

Early this month, we launched out second year of the #LeadingConEducación program, in partnership with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, to support Latino high school seniors and college students around the U.S. who are seeking a higher education diploma or are completing their college degree with educational grants and scholarships.

We would like to share three scholarship recipients’ stories out of the twenty that received a scholarship grant in 2021 and highlight how this program has helped them in their education journey. This year, the program has doubled, and it is offering 40 scholarships for students to take advantage of. Don’t miss this great opportunity!

Meet Lilibeth, Jessie and Giselle! 

Lilibeth: 22-year-old MD Austin University college student, born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She considers herself a Latina by heart. Her parents were born and raised outside of the United States. She grew up in a single-parent household with her mom, who was born in El Salvador and didn’t have the chance to complete her education beyond third grade due to her family’s lack of financial resources. One of Lilibeth’s dreams is to visit her mom’s native country one day.    

“My parents always valued that I have not taken for granted their efforts to make a better living for themselves when they moved to the. Becoming a 2021 scholarship recipient of the Leading con Educación program really alleviated the financial stress for me and my family…”

Jessie Salinas: 21-year-old college student from Arizona. Both of his parents are immigrants who came from very different Mexican backgrounds, and have worked hard to offer a college education for Jessie and his younger brother. Jessie’s parents hope he can be more successful and achieve greater things than they did. As a kid, Jessie and his family went on camping trips, awakening a deep passion in Jessie for the outdoors and science, which led him pursuing a career in environmental science. 

“I am beyond grateful for the Leading con Educación program. Without that financial help, it would be very difficult for me and my family to afford college. This is a huge relief for me and my family.”

Giselle Garcia: 23-year-old student, born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Giselle considers herself a proud Mexican since both of her parents were born and raised in Mexico. She has an 18-year old brother and a 16-year old sister. Her dad came from a smaller village surrounded by farms where he did a lot of. She loved helping her dad take care of the animals and the fields. Her mom is from Monterrey and the only one from 12 siblings who was able to pursue a career in academics. Giselle worked during her high school years as a waitress in the same restaurant as her mom, helping to save money and getting to know the restaurant business as it is related to her career in hospitality, tourism, and hotel management.

I dedicated time just to find scholarships, ways I can fund my education. In my senior year I wanted to study abroad but I knew after speaking to my parent that wasn’t a feasible opportunity due to how expensive it could be, I did not give up and continued to look for scholarships, and that is when I came across TurboTax #LeadingconEducación program.”

Why Should You Apply? 

We’re helping students develop the durable skills needed for jobs in a constantly changing economy. Intuit does this through its personal finance, entrepreneurship and career exploration programs which utilize products including TurboTax, Mint and QuickBooks. Through Intuit’s Job Readiness Program, Latino students have free access to tools and resources to overcome the fear of personal finances, prepare them to file taxes for the first time, and introduce them to additional tax information and tax simulations including gig-economy, crypto and other investment scenarios that will ensure they get the refund they deserve and the best tax outcome.

How Can You Apply?

To learn more about our educational program or to apply for a grant or scholarship, visit the #LeadingConEducación page. The 2022 educational grants application process is currently open and will run through May 8th.