Four Cal State San Bernardino students received the news of a lifetime this month: full funding to support their ongoing studies.
The prize came courtesy of the band Fuerza Regida and Street Mob Records. Frontman and label head Jesús Ortiz Paz unveiled the scholarship at an April event held at CSUSB. The scholarship is named after their latest studio album,”111xpantia,” which was released in May.
“If we can do it coming from the same city, facing the same struggles, then trust me, you can do it too,” Ortiz Paz said in a motivational speech ahead of the scholarship announcement.
The funding is intended to support the next generation of change-makers in the San Bernardino region, where nearly a third of the population has received a bachelor’s degree or higher — which is below both the national and state averages.
Among the recipients is Ronald Alvarado, a San Bernardino resident devoted to public service.
When he’s not investigating government fraud for the city of San Bernardino or acting as chair of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission, the 37-year-old is pursuing two advanced degrees: a master’s degree in public administration and another in science and information systems technology.
“Growing up on the west side of San Bernardino, everything was set up against us,” he said. “Systematically down to the point that the freeways exit on the other side of town.”
Last month, Alvarado launched his campaign to run for City Council’s 1st Ward. The region is currently represented by Theodore Sanchez, who earlier this year faced pushback from organizers amid claims of inactivity.
“There was some community activism [where I am from], but where I really saw [change] was being in government,” said Alvarado of his newly launched campaign. “Maybe if we could find a seat at the table, we can help move our city forward.”
The 111xpantia funding will help Alvarado alleviate the stress of having to take out additional loans and allow him to focus his energy and resources on his campaign, he said.
Another scholarship recipient, Alejandra Peres, admitted she’d been unaware of the total funding amount when she applied. She discovered the application through an Instagram post on the day of the July 31 deadline.
“I thought it was like a $500 scholarship — that’s [still] a lot of help,” said Peres, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology. “But it ended up being a lot more than what I imagined, so it was a huge blessing.”
The 32-year-old from Duarte dreams of becoming a psychiatrist, a path that was inspired by her own experience navigating a chronic mental health condition. The 111xpantia scholarship removes one less worry for her as she gets her life in order.
“[The scholarship] gave me the ability to establish myself,” she said.
The other two scholarship recipients are a paraplegic student pursuing a degree in computer science who is motivated to create a more inclusive world, and a marketing student who will combine their passion for storytelling and psychology to support their community in the Coachella Valley.
This isn’t the first time Fuerza Regida has extended support to communities in Southern California. In 2023, the band kicked off its U.S. tour Otra Peda by donating $20,000 to Inclusive Action for the City, a nonprofit that helps street vendors.
In January, the band rented out a hotel to house families displaced by the wildfires. Amid the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement raids taking place across Southern California this summer, Fuerza Regida donated merchandise profits to organizations such as the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which covers legal fees for impacted individuals.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
