College for impoverished youth

Student Scholarships

Roots & Wings International provides full-tuition university scholarships to indigenous youth from families that earn less than $2 per day.  Our scholars come from coffee-growing communities in rural Guatemala, and they are the first in their families to study past elementary school.  The scholarships are awarded based on financial need, academic promise, and commitment to promote community development where the students live.

Scholarships made possible by generous donors

  • The Jill M. Pekala Memorial Scholarship
  • The BuyWell Coffee Scholarship
  • The TECO Energy, Guatemala Scholarship
We invite you to name a scholarship in the name of a loved one or after your business.


  • Name: Manuela Tzep Lòpez
  • Education: Studying social work at University Panamericana
  • Goal: Develop a program that encourages young women to pursue an education. [read full bio and testimonial | watch video]
  • Name: Diego Guachaj Chox
  • Education: Studying social work at University Galileo
  • Goal: Help people in his village learn Spanish so that they
    can participate in the formal economic markets of the country. [read full bio]
  • Name: Manuel Lopez y Lopez
  • Education: Studying school administration at Galileo University
  • Goal: Become the first bilingual administrator of the high school in his region. [read full bio]
  • Name: Herlinda Guadalupe Cochojil Itcep
  • Education: Studying medicine at Mesoamericana University in Quetzaltenango
  • Goal: Open a clinic in her village in order to help prevent the current high rate of infant mortality and child illnesses. [read full bio]
  • Name: Catarina Mercedes Guarchaj Guarchaj
  • Education: Associate Degree in Social Worko
  • Goal: To share her knowledge and help organizations within her community. [read full bio and testimonial]
  • Name: Manuel Guarchaj Ixmata
  • Education: Studying law at the University Mariano Galvez
  • Goal: Provide access to legal services to indigenous people by being the only bilingual K'iche’/Spanish attorney in his region. [read full bio]
  • Name: Pascual Can Chox
  • Education: Studying school administration at the University Mariano Galvez
  • Goal: Open a clinic in her village in order to help prevent the current high rate of infant mortality and child illnesses. Help open a new high school in his region so that impoverished indigneous youth have access to education. [read full bio]
  • Name: Micaela Florentina
  • Education: Studying teaching at the University Mariano Galvez
  • Goal: Become a high school teacher and encourage youth in her community to pursue higher education. [read full bio]
  • Name: Antonia López Tzep
  • Education: Studying pedagogy at the Mariano Galvez University
  • Goal: Become a bilingual high school teacher at the secondary school in her region. [read full bio]
  • Name: Miguel Lomberto Sohom
  • Education: Studying nursing at the University Mariano Galvez
  • Goal:Become the first K´iche´ speaking nurse at the clinic available in his village which is historically staffed by non-indigenous medical staff from the city. [read full bio]
  • Name: Pascual Esteban Rajpop Sac
  • Education: Studying pedagogy at the University Galileo
  • Goal: Become a bilingual high school teacher at the only secondary school in his region. [read full bio]
  • Name: Dominga Guarchaj Lòpez
  • Education: Studying social work at University Panamericana
  • Goal: Develop a program that works with at-risk youth to prevent involvement in youth gangs. [read full bio]
  • Name: Dinora Xum Guarchaj
  • Education: Studying law at the University Rafael Landivar
  • Goal: Become the first woman and bilingual lawyer in her community in order to help women with domestic disputes. [read full bio]
  • Name: Bartolo Simaj Cotiy
  • Education: BSc in Education Management
  • Goal: Being prepared for the present and the future of the country. [read full bio and testimonial]
  • Name: Diego Tziquin Chox
  • Education: Studying social work at the University Panamericana
  • Goal: Work along side Roots & Wings, encouraging the youth in his community to study past
    primary school. [read full bio]
  • Name: Cruz Tzep Can
  • Education: Studying at the high school, El Instituto La Asuncion
  • Goal: Continue on to university and become a high school teacher at the only school in his region. [read full bio]
Photo coming soon
  • Name: Josefina Puac Hernandez
  • Education: Studying Medicine at University Mesoamericana
  • Goal: Become a community doctor because of the lack of access to medicine in her community. [read full bio]
  • Name: Manuel Guarchaj Guarchaj
  • Education: Studying Nursing at La Escuela Esperanza
  • Goal: Become a bilingual K'iche'/Spanish nurse to attend to the sick in his community who generally have no access to medical care. [read full bio]
  • Name: Diego Ixquiactap Sac
  • Education: Studying Law at the University Mariano Gálvez
  • Goal: Diego is from the mountain village of Pasaquijuyup. He would like to use his law degree to demand that his often marginalized community be recognized by the government for public works projects. [read full bio]
  • Name: Antonia Ixtós Tzep
  • Education: Studying intercultural and bilingual primary teaching
  • Goal: Strengthening the values of educational communities [read full bio]
  • Name: Manuela Tambriz Ixtos
  • Education: Studying Pedagogy at the University Mariano Gálvez
  • Goal: Manuela is from the village of Xojolá and hopes to become a teacher at the school Roots & Wings Int'l plans on opening in her community in 2012. [read full bio]
  • Name: Francisco Manuel Xocol Quemá
  • Education: Studying Systems Engineering at the University Mariano Gálvez
  • Goal: Francisco is from the village of Chirij Mazá and hopes to help bring technology to the surrounding communities. He sees much potential for development by bringing internet to rural Guatemala and training children in computer systems. [read full bio]
  • Name: Pascual Marroquín Guarchaj
  • Education: Studying Social Work at the University Panamericana
  • Goal: Pascual is from the village of Xejuyup which has suffered much because of high rates of immigration to the U.S. and increasing influence of gangs. Pascual would like to create youth programs for vulnerable young men who have lost their fathers to immigration and would benefit from belonging to groups with healthy and productive missions. [read full bio]
  • Name: María Perechú Guarchaj
  • Education: Studying Social Work at the University Rafael Landivar
  • Goal: María is from the village of Pasac and hopes to serve in a leadership role with the counsel of women that has been organizing in her village. She believes that women´s groups are an effective way of promoting development in her community. [read full bio]
  • Name: Lorenzo Guarchaj Tum
  • Education: Studying Accounting and Auditing
  • Goal: Becoming a successful entrepreneur. [read full bio]
Photo coming soon
  • Name: Antonio Guarchaj Tziquín
  • Education: Studying Engineering and Computer Systems
  • Goal: Set up a computation and computer repair academy in his community. [read full bio]
  • Name: Diego López Balux
  • Education: Studying Communication Science
  • Goal: Help his community during emergencies by publishing articles in newspapers or on the web. [read full bio]
  • Name: Pascual Vicente Tziac Tzep
  • Education: Studying teaching
  • Goal: Becoming a competent mathematics teacher. [read full bio]
  • Name: Antonio Gregorio Sohom Tzaj
  • Education: BS Computer Systems Engineering
  • Goal: Being professionally qualified to facilitate computer lab classes. [read full bio]
  • Name: Cristina Xúm Ixtós
  • Education: Associate Degree in Secondary Education
  • Goal: To achieve a good education and be more useful in the community. [read full bio]
  • Name: Cruz Ajpop Guarchaj
  • Education: BS Business Administration
  • Goal: To work for an agency and create his own business to put to practice the skills he has acquired. [read full bio]