Ed & Judy Fuentes
Ed and Judy have three endowed scholarships at Trinidad State to honor their parents. The Draper-Fuentes’ scholarships support nursing students, students interested in a career in education, and students pursuing a visual arts degree.
“We feel that with an education you can accomplish almost anything! We just want students to have some of the same opportunities that we were fortunate to have.”
Impact
Scholarship recipients, Angelina LeDoux, Maria Trujillo & Leilani Kulczyk share their gratitude and the impact the Draper-Fuentes Scholarship has had on their student experience —
—As a non-traditional student and mother of two, I am now more than happy with my decision to attend college; I cannot wait to be the teacher I have always wanted to be! I have wanted to be a teacher for a long time, unfortunately I was in a position where I could not afford to go to college. My plans are to earn my associate degree from Trinidad State College, and then attend a 4-year college to earn my bachelor’s degree in elementary education. I am currently enrolled in the T Prep program. Once I receive my degree, I would like to become a first or second grade teacher. I would love to further my education and get my master’s in education. I was the sole provider for my family up until 2020. I divorced in 2020, and now have a supportive partner. For this reason, I am now able to attend college. Working part time and attending classes full time is stressful but rewarding. I am focused on being successful, and I am working hard towards that. I am thankful for all the opportunities that I have had. This opportunity gives me more drive to succeed. Thank you for the opportunity to further my education and my life. Respectfully, Angelina May LeDoux
—Thank you for this scholarship opportunity. With this money, I will be able to help with my expenses ranging from my needed supplies throughout the term to getting gas for the traveling on my clinical days. I am currently employed at Mt San Rafael Hospital as an administrative assistant while I am also providing nursing care to our patients. I am in a perfect situation where I can experience hands-on care while pursuing my education. I am excited to be able to be apart of this coursework. I do understand that this will not be easy working and going to school, but I am determined to accomplish my goal of becoming a Registered Nurse. With warmest thank you , Maria Trujillo
—Thank you so much for this scholarship. This is an amazing opportunity for me to grow as an artist and as a person; I am super excited to get this scholarship my current situation I just finished my first year as a full-time college student and this has been the best years of my life. I appreciate everything and hope to continue toward my career path. Sincerely, Leilani Kulczyk