Maria Estela Godinez gets a full scholarship for Tec de Monterrey
Maria Estela received the scholarship at Tec de Monterrey, Guadalajara Campus. Photo courtesy of Tec de Monterrey.
I met Maria Estela Godinez in Cartagena, Colombia. She was having some stage fright before joining the stage with Intel Chairman Craig R. Barrett. Maria is only 16 years old but she has already landed many awards for her talent. Earlier this year Maria Estela received three awards for her electronics project Deyabu. Her project allows people with speech problems to communicate with the world by moving her hands with a special glove that translates finger movements into text and then to speech.
Maria managed to do great on stage with Craig R. Barrett. She did so well that the Minister of Communications of Colombia cried on her seat as she was hearing Maria's wonderful story. She was in total control of the audience. She finished her speech to an enthusiastic cheering and then was the most sought-after person at the end of the show.
When I saw her in Cartagena, Maria Estela told me that she was hoping to get a slot at the UNAM, the National University of Mexico. The UNAM slots are somehow scarce given the huge demand for the University. She was somehow confident to land a spot.
But recently Tec de Monterrey Guadalajara Campus decided to give Maria Estela a full scholarship for her education. Under the arrangement, Maria Estela will receive a full scholarship, including her residence needs in Guadalajara. Intel is also proud to participate on this, under its program to support young talent in Latin America.
I had a breakfast with Maria Estela and her mother, before she visited President Fox at Los Pinos. Both were very excited about Maria Estela attending Tec. Tec is one of the main Universities in Latin America and was modeled by its founder after the MIT. Tec is a private University and is widely recognized internationally for its excellent academic programs.
The only "but..." on this story is that most of the Mexican people that have been awarded at ISEF have been on their senior year of high school. Maria Estela was on her sophmore year (2nd year) so she will still have to wait for one year before starting at the Guadalajara Campus of Tec de Monterrey. There are already many people waiting for her there.
Related Posts and Links:
- A new leader has emerged: María Estela Godinez
- Maria Estela Godinez: Electronics for a Good Cause (Beth's Blog)
- This Young Woman Keeps Her Gloves On: Maria Estela Godinez (BlogHer)
Comments
Congrats!! Now she needs to set up blog so we can follow her progress!
Posted by: Beth | November 23, 2006 04:38 PM