My Nonprofit Reviews

I am part of the Baja Missions leadership. We provided the initial feedback to Baja Bound that led to BEI being formed. And we have been one of the largest supporters of BEI, having donated over $85,000 since 2013, supporting BEI's operations and over 30 scholarships, from middle school to college.

Back in May 2022, some of the Baja Missions leadership attended the Baja Education Institute (BEI) Gala. After some activities with the kids in the BEI scholarship program in the morning and afternoon, the evening event allowed us to hear the stories of some former and current BEI scholarship recipients.

We got to hear from Dr. Karla Cormona, the very first BEI scholarship recipient. She went from orphanage, to graduating not only high school and college, but medical school (sometimes taking 2 buses for 3 hours one way into San Diego), and now works in a community clinic (and added another new title 5 months ago: Mom). She is one of the most amazing, humble, inspiring, loving, gentle people you could ever meet.

She along with the 5 other ladies shared their stories: growing up in orphanages and single family households, fathers and grandfathers not being supportive of girls getting an education, doing homework by candlelight, charging a phone at school before working in the fields 2-3 hours after school, then going home and doing homework on that phone, outside the neighbor's wall, late at night, in the cold, because they had to use their neighbor’s wifi. Just some amazing real life stories, as these ladies strive towards becoming physical therapists, a forensic scientist, teachers. I also met a young man in the BEI scholarship program in his final months of law school; he wants to be a lawyer for these impoverished families so they can know their basic human rights when working in the fields or living in a migrant farm.

Then, thanks to our partners, donors, and supporters, the Baja Missions leadership team was able to present a donation of $25,000 to BEI's scholarship fund.

Thanks to the support and generosity of our partners, donors, and supporters, we hope to hear many more amazing life stories like we heard this past weekend, as we empower these children and impact all of their future generations beyond a life of poverty.

From a personal perspective, I love being able to be a part of BEI's mission and ability to directly impact the lives and community in such an amazing way.