Scholarships Help Local Men Achieve Bright Futures

Tara A. Spears

So many seasonal vacationers take the time to give back to their adopted community. It’s amazing what the kind and generous folks at the La Peñita RV Park accomplish by holding Sunday Hamburger Nights for approximately 10 weeks each season to generate money for scholarships. Did you know that the public is welcome? No ticket required — simply take a cab to the RV park just north of the Peñita main Avenida. Choose your grilled burger or sausage and sides, sip from the open bar, relax and have a good time. Each season culminates in a Scholarship Fundraiser held at the Park pool area, where guests get to meet the students, and the food and libations are accompanied by an exciting silent auction. What an amazing impact each burger and margarita has for these young men!

Presently, the RV Park Educational Fund is supporting 23 talented men. The range of study is impressive: there are 4 engineers, 4 in business, 2 lawyers, 2 architects, 6 in health care fields, plus three studying to be doctors. These guys are smart, motivated, and the future of the community. In the 19 years that Carole Thacker has managed the Educational Fund, it has provided financial help to more than 34 men.

The RV Park Educational Fund opens the door to the opportunity to achieve their dreams. For the majority of the students, without this scholarship they would not be able to attend university.

In 2008, the cost of Mexican university tuition was $800 pesos a year. The cost gradually increased until January 2023, when tuition saw a huge jump to the current level of $4,500 a year. Due to the generosity of the park residents, the Educational Fund has been able to increase the scholarship amount to keep pace with the expense. The reason the RV Educational Fund assists only men is that there is another organization that funds the women, according to that group’s objective.

It’s important to know that the RV award is based on several criteria, not just economic need. This is why there is such a high success rate among graduates. Not every applicant receives an award: the fund evaluates who is academically capable of succeeding, how his education will benefit the community, leadership potential, and economic need. In a tourist- and hospitality-driven economy, there is high demand for business degrees to manage the hotels, as well as in the supporting technical fields. In this area there is high demand for all the typical service fields: business, engineering, medical. The awards are made for one year but are renewable until the student completes his studies and graduates.

We applaud the motivation of these outstanding young men as they strive to achieve their potential and to enhance the quality of life for themselves, their families, and their community. Each young man dreams of the day he will have his own business or executive-level employment. Who could have imagined that enjoying a burger and margarita under the palms would have such significant and long-lasting benefits? If you’d like to help by becoming a sponsor, message Carole Thacker.