Fuerza Regida awards 4 scholarships to Cal State San Bernardino students

by

This month, four California State University, San Bernardino students received incredible news – they were granted full financial backing to continue their academic pursuits.

The scholarship was generously provided by the band Fuerza Regida, along with Street Mob Records. At a spring event hosted at CSUSB, frontman and label head Jesus Ortiz Paz announced this new scholarship, which bears the name of their most recent album, “111xpantia,” launched in May.

In an inspiring speech before the scholarship announcement, Ortiz Paz shared, “Since we’re both hailing from the same city and sharing similar challenges, believe me when I say that with the same determination, you can certainly achieve it as well.

The aim of the funding is to bolster upcoming innovators in the San Bernardino area, a region where approximately one-third of the residents hold a bachelor’s degree or more – a figure that falls short compared to both the national and state norms.

Among the recipients is Ronald Alvarado, a San Bernardino resident devoted to public service.

Outside his duties of probing government fraud for San Bernardino city or leading its Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission, this 37-year-old individual is simultaneously working towards two higher education qualifications: a master’s degree in public administration and one in science and information systems technology.

Raised on the western part of San Bernardino, it seemed like everything was stacked against us from the get-go. Systematically, even down to the placement of the highway exits, which were on the opposite side of town.

Last month, Alvarado announced his bid for the City Council’s 1st Ward. Presently, this district is held by Theodore Sanchez, who has recently encountered criticism from activists due to allegations of inaction.

In his new campaign, Alvarado expressed that while there was some community activism where he grew up, it was only when he entered government that he truly witnessed significant change. He suggested that if they could secure a position at the decision-making table, they could play a part in propelling their city forward.

Alvarado’s relief comes from the 111xpantia funding, as it means he won’t need to seek extra loans. This allows him to channel all his efforts and resources into his campaign, as he stated.

Alejandra Peres, another scholarship recipient, confessed that she didn’t know the full amount of funding when she submitted her application. It was only on the deadline day of July 31st that she came across the application through an Instagram post.

Peres, a student studying for his bachelor’s degree in psychology, expressed that he initially thought the scholarship would be around $500 – a significant amount of aid. However, upon receiving it, he found out it was much more generous than expected, and he gratefully referred to it as a ‘huge blessing.’

A 32-year-old resident of Duarte harbors aspirations to become a psychiatrist, a career choice that was fueled by her personal journey dealing with a long-term mental health issue. The 111xpantia scholarship alleviates one less concern for her as she organizes her life accordingly.

“[The scholarship] gave me the ability to establish myself,” she said.

Two of the scholarship recipients include a computer science student with a passion for creating an inclusive world, despite being a paraplegic. Additionally, there’s a marketing student who aims to utilize their love for storytelling and psychology to benefit their community within the Coachella Valley.

Fuerza Regida has previously shown support to communities in Southern California, and they continued this tradition when they launched their U.S. tour Otra Peda in 2023. To mark the occasion, the band generously donated $20,000 to Inclusive Action for the City, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting street vendors.

In January, the band arranged for a hotel accommodation to shelter families who had been displaced by wildfires. This past summer, during U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement raids sweeping through Southern California, Fuerza Regida gave their merchandise earnings to organizations like the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which assisted in covering the legal costs for those affected.

Read More

2025-08-28 00:31