Conny Fonseca grew up in Colima where her father worked on a farm in the town of Cofradia de Suchitlan while her mother stayed at home to take care of the family. A bright and ambitious student, at the age of nine, Conny had the opportunity for educational sponsorship from the GROW program to ensure she was able to finish primary school. The program helped supply her with school supplies, uniforms, transportation, and tutoring.

While the program offered Conny with the chance to pursue her dream career into college, her family initially hesitated to accept the opportunity due to cultural barriers and financial struggles around the decision to continue school. Young women are not normally encouraged to attend school and the act is often seen in a negative light. In addition, young adults are normally feel cultural pressure to start working in the fields to earn additional income or, for young women, to stay home to support the family.

Despite these obstacles, Conny gained her family’s blessing and received a full-ride scholarship including room & board at the University of Colima where she achieved her dream of becoming a doctor. She now gives back to the community she grew up in, serving as the Director of Epidemiology for health centers in half of the municipalities of the state of Colima and is the first GROW scholar to serve on Project Amigo’s board of directors, the non-profit through which the GROW program supports scholars in Colima.

Thanks to the GROW fund, Conny was able to follow her dream of becoming the first in her family to complete primary school and went on to graduate from the University of Colima with a degree in medicine, which has enabled her to return to her home community and give back to those in need.