When Building Homes Turns Into Building People - Lupe Cornejo Columbia Graduate School Scholarship

Lupe Cornejo, Columbia University Graduate Program Student and LifeSupportM.org 2021 Mentee

As the founders of LifeSupportM.org, Jeff and I, since 1997, have been building houses in Mexico to help families in need.

When the pandemic hit in 2020 house building came to a hard stop.

Our hearts were heavy for the families so we sent finances to our house building partner Amor.org so their leaders in Mexico could continue to build homes to help families stay together.

Then we turned our focus to what we could do here at home and that is something we’ve been working on in the background for a few years now, which is to more deeply establish our mentoring relationships here in the United States.

Our mentoring program is built to help people of all ages whose lives, education, families, and jobs were not only affected by the pandemic but who also, on an everyday basis, just need that extra ounce of encouragement, attention, focus, and support to get to where they want to go in their lives, careers, education, and relationships.

One of our 2021 mentees is Lupe Cornejo.

Lupe was born in Mexico and raised in Santa Rosa, California and she and I (Leona) met when we were both attending Dominican University of California in San Rafael. I was studying for my Bachelors Degree in Humanities and Cultural Studies with a track in Communication and Media Studies and Lupe was studying for her double Bachelors in International Studies and Gender Studies, with a concentration in Latin American Studies.

Lupe’s energy, drive, focus, and self-care were evident from the moment I met her - and when she recently shared the good news that she was accepted into Columbia University in their Graduate Degree program for Sustainability I asked how LifeSupportM.org could be of support.

Together we determined the best way to assist would be to help in her educational fundraising and scholarship goals by working with her on her fundraising campaign and getting the word out to the wider community about her plans and dreams.

She has already raised a good portion of her tuition and has been awarded multiple scholarships - but there is still some funding needed to cover the remaining costs of books, supplies, housing, and other living essentials.

LifeSupportM.org might not be able to be building houses right now, but we can build people right here at home by helping raise funds for a young person’s education - an investment in a young person’s education, goals, and dreams goes a long way as an investment in our entire global community.

We are hopeful you will find Lupe’s story compelling and that you will want to donate funds toward her education. When you donate through LifeSupportM.org your donation will be able to be a charitable donation because we have recently received our federal 501(c)(3) charitable status.

Here is Lupe’s story (this essay was her admissions submission to Columbia)

My Story - by Lupe Cornejo

I was brought to this country from Mexico at age eight to work in the hot vineyards of Fresno, California alongside my farmworker parents. I didn’t speak a word of English and sobbed my way through most of third grade. Within the year I was speaking the language and translating for my parents. Throughout most of elementary and middle school, I worked at three different cleaning jobs in local cafes before school started to help my parents pay for food.

I am a Dreamer, but most importantly I am a doer.

At the age of 22 I graduated cum laude and debt free from Dominican University of California with two bachelor’s degrees. I founded the “First Generation College Support Club” on campus to create community and support other students navigating the challenges of being the first in their families to attend college. I worked three jobs to support myself through college and often helped my little siblings with money for food while they were at the family shelter in Santa Rosa, California during two years of homelessness when my mother got sick and couldn’t pay the rent.

As the first in my family to attend college, I want to demonstrate that higher education opens doors and that pursuing a master’s degree and one day, a Ph.D., is possible for all immigrants. My undergraduate research, my work in immigration rights in Sonoma County, and my personal values converge around a passion for fresh water sustainability and fuel my desire to apply to the M.S. in Sustainability Management program at Columbia University so I can become a leading advocate for sustainable business practices across private and public sectors. I wish to help manage sustainable and ethical businesses and in tandem start my own private consulting firm that will provide specialized sustainability and zero waste support to all people wishing to reduce their impact on the environment by dramatically reducing their daily trash.

My passion for sustainability began during my undergraduate thesis research on the intersectionality of gender, water scarcity, and human rights in Lima, Peru.

I learned that the lack of sustainable water management knowledge among businesses and civilians is a root cause of water scarcity in Peru and around the world. Climate change is a global crisis threatening a wide range of finite resources, one of the most pressing being access to clean water. This experience informed my fundamental mission to “Do No Harm with My Existence,” which guides my daily life choices and career aspirations. I strongly believe that by changing the way people live and do business we can collectively reduce the harm we cause to each other and to the planet.

My work providing legal support to the immigrant community in Sonoma County, California has solidified a passion for advocacy and a desire to lead a life of service to people and the planet. My own immigration journey from Mexico has shaped my place in this world. Although I struggled for years from depression as a result of racism, I have taken control of the narrative and am now committed to using my lived experience as valuable knowledge when advocating for vulnerable groups affected by climate change. Through the training at Columbia University I will gain the specialized skills necessary to manage ethical businesses and provide personalized consulting to families, nonprofits, and organizations who are ready to transition to zero waste practices. My passion for sustainability, my commitment to justice, and my long-term vision make me an ideal candidate for this program.

Columbia University prides itself on supporting new sustainability leaders. Having the opportunity to learn from leading scholars, such as Laureline Josset and Indrani Pal, would be an opportunity of a life-time. Classes such as the “Water Resources and Climate”, “Women in Cities”, and “Water Governance” will allow to me pursue my interests at the intersections of gender equity and sustainable water management, while developing the applied skills necessary to launch my career as a leader in sustainable business practices and zero waste policies. As an immigrant and woman of color, I have been told my entire life what I can’t do or be, and that I didn’t belong because I wasn’t born here. Overcoming this adversity was only possible because of my tenacity, commitment to education, and valuable academic mentors. No matter where one comes from it is all of our responsibility to fight for the survival of our planet because climate change knows no borders.

As you can see, Lupe’s story is not only riveting but also inspiring. Her self motivation and determination are a beacon of hope for the health of our community and planet. We really hope YOU connect with Lupe as much as we do - her dreams and goals are so inspiring and we want her to succeed in her education and life!

By supporting Lupe with funding for her graduate education you are supporting a young person who is both compassionate in heart and spirit and passionate in education and vision about helping people and helping the planet. She is clearly someone who is going to dedicate her career to making a positive impact in and around her community.

There may be some people who have never heard of sustainability, or who have heard of it but struggle to implement the practices. Lupe’s studies and work in the sustainability industry will directly help regular people and our daily living. It is not just about zero waste, it can even include sustainable investing and sustainable business practices. She ultimately plans on opening a consulting business to work one on one with families and businesses, but she is also aiming her sights at a job with some of the bigger companies (Microsoft, Nike, Bain) that are working on sustainability to gain experience and knowledge of the greater industry to facilitate sustainable practices in their products and services.

Lupe is packing her bags now and will be boarding her flight to New York on August 1. In a recent phone conversation she told me she is amazed that it is actually happening and that she can’t wait to be in class to start learning!

Here is our ASK - can you contribute to Lupe’s scholarship?

Lupe’s goal is to fund her two full years at Columbia and she is well on her way and a little bit more will bring her to her goal. Just a few days ago she received two $1K contributions, one was anonymous and the other was from a friend. We are kicking in an additional $500.00 scholarship and we are hoping you can contribute as well! Any amount will help - and it will all go toward books, tuition, supplies, computer gear, housing, health insurance, food, and transportation while she is at Columbia. Lupe has an excel spreadsheet keeping track of all the contributions and thank you notes sent and she has also been working overtime in her current job to earn extra money toward her schooling. She is so grateful for the support!

If you are ready to make a financial contribution in any amount toward Lupe’s Graduate Degree Scholarship through LifeSupportM.org, which is deductible as we are a 501 c3 charitable organization, you can do so here. We greatly appreciate your support in helping us help Lupe!!