Guerrera, Travel With Purpose & Viva La Bonita Collaborate with Conciencia Collective to Release Exclusive Guerrera Going Places Hoodie In Support of Their Scholarship Fund

 First Scholarship Recipient Announced:

Meet Karen Colmenares

Proceeds will be used to Assist Girls from Latinx, Indigenous, and Black Communities Accomplish Educational Goals

Guerrera Marketing & PR, owner Loren Medina’s non-profit, Travel With Purpose and Viva La Bonita will release an exclusive hoodie in collaboration with Conciencia Collective, an alliance against racial and social injustice comprised of +35 executives from the Latin music industry including activists, journalists, artist managers, publicists, lawyers, directors, and on-air personalities who came together in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and also focuses on issues affecting our Latin community with the intention to educate our colleagues, artists, and peers of influence in order to gain their advocacy. 

60% of proceeds from the sale will go to the Guerrera x TWP x VLB Scholarship Fund. Applicants can email us their stories explaining why and what they need financial assistance for and how much they need to accomplish their goal. Once an applicant is chosen to receive a scholarship, Travel With Purpose [501(c)3] will make a donation directly to the institution, company or person providing the specified services. *No monies will be donated directly to the scholarship recipients in order to ensure the legitimacy of the entries. To apply to the Guerrera x TWP x VLB Scholarship Fund please send a detailed email to travelwithpurposejourneys@gmail.com. Scholarship winners will be chosen at the end of each campaign cycle and/or once we meet our designated financial goals. 

Meet Our Scholarship's First Recipient: Karen Colmenares

We will be paying for her next semester at Broward College

"My name is Karen Colmenares, I am twenty years old and I was born and raised in Venezuela. I moved to the United States of America in 2018 with my family seeking asylum due to political persecution. This is my second year attending Broward College. I am completing my Associates of Arts at Broward College, and I plan to transfer to Florida International University to obtain my bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. Growing up in a Latin country as a girl, you do not get many choices. “Math and science are not things girls want to do” that is what people would say to me. However, I never listened to those comments, and I knew that if I was good at something it was at math. During my high school years, I participated in my school math club and won two silver and a gold medal at the states Math Olympics. I enjoyed solving difficult math problems, and I loved when my professors would challenge me with bigger problems, harder exercises. I would also challenge myself to believe in my knowledge and trust that I could do it.

 I fell in love with the rush, excitement and feeling I would get anytime I would solve a math problem. It was adrenaline to me, and I knew I wanted to do that for the rest of my life but in a bigger scale and helping people in the way. As we know, math and science encompass many careers and fields, so it was hard for me to figure out exactly which career I wanted. I did a lot of investigation and I found out that I want to be an engineer. I want to solve problems, but not only math problems, I want to solve real world problems. I want to create things that could change my community or even the world. That is why I chose Biomedical engineering; it encompasses my passion for numbers and science with my desire to design and create new things that would help people especially in the medicine and healthcare field. My career goal is to work on projects that focus on the development of revolutionary concepts like artificial organs, new pharmaceutical drugs, and better biomedical electronics.

 I must say that leaving my country and everything behind to come to a new country to begin a new life it has been incredibly challenging to me and my family. However, I have learned a lot. I learned that we need to appreciate the little things in life, like your friends, your family, being alive every day. Moreover, I have learned that you do not need anything material but just your family to keep on going and follow your dreams. Unfortunately, my family and I lost everything in Venezuela, but my parents taught me to never give up on my dreams and that hard work and discipline is what makes those dream come true. Right now, I am a full-time student and I work full time as an Assistant Manager at a jewelry store to pay for college and help my family since I am the oldest of my sisters. I do not have much time in my daily life, but I know that the sacrifices I make today will get me to where I want to be and will make me the person I want to be.

     Since I am still on the asylum process, I have not been able to apply for Financial Aid or any other help. I have tried multiple scholarships but have not received any answer yet. I am a hard worker student with a GPA of 4.0 and I work more than 40 hours a week to pay for my school and my bills. I know I can represent all the Latina women on my field as who we truly are: smart and dedicated women that never stop until they achieve their dreams. I would deeply appreciate your help to continue my journey and education, and I would make the most of this opportunity."

ABOUT CONCIENCIA COLLECTIVE:

Conciencia Collective, is an alliance against racial and social injustice comprised of +35 executives from the Latin music industry including activists, journalists, artist managers, publicists, lawyers, directors, and on-air personalities who came together in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement to create awareness about racial and social injustice with the intention to educate our colleagues, artists, and peers of influence in order to gain their advocacy. Our ongoing initiatives also focus on the many issues affecting our Latin community.

ABOUT TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE

Guerrera Marketing & PR owner, Loren Medina, founded the non-profit organization Travel With Purpose in 2014 which focuses on financially empowering young girls and women who are currently oppressed and marginalized. Travel With Purpose has raised funds and worked directly with girls victims of sex trafficking in Cambodia and the Philippines, impoverished women in Haiti, and Syrian women and children who currently living as refugees in Jordan. In addition, Ms. Medina mentored a young woman from South Central who was victim of sex trafficking via the non-profit organization Two Wings based in Los Angeles, CA.

ABOUT VIVA LA BONITA

Viva La Bonita is a women’s lifestyle and streetwear apparel brand inspired by the spirit of the women who are fearless. Created by Rachel Gomez, a Latina born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Viva La Bonita is rooted in self-empowerment with an emphasis on the Latina Community.