Closing out his high school career with the invention of a patent-pending portable cooling device for wildland firefighters and agricultural workers, 18-year-old Elias Escobar Argueta is already well on his way to achieving his dream of becoming a mechanical engineer.
Elias was only nine years old when he and his family left their home in El Salvador for California, hoping to build a new life in the United States. Almost 10 years later, Elias is poised to become the first in his family to attend a four-year university with the help of both Napa Valley Community Foundation’s Committed and Fruit of the Vine scholarships. In a few months, he’ll head to Southern California to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara as a mechanical engineering major.
Born from Necessity
Beyond his appreciation for the technical side of engineering, Elias is driven by his commitment to community and his passion for solving real-world problems. This passion led him to Calistoga High School’s Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam, where he and a group of fellow students spent the last two years designing and building a device for wildland firefighters and agricultural workers who can’t wear cumbersome oxygen tanks or thick layers of PPE. “They just wear it like a backpack and then there’s a pump that distributes water to the forehead,” Elias explained.
The idea for the device was born from living in a place where ag workers and firefighters too often face the risk of overheating while working. With the help of a $7,500 grant from the InvenTeams Grant Initiative, Elias and his team worked with local firefighters, police, and university professors to produce a functional prototype, then received support from Microsoft’s #MakeWhatsNext Patent Program and Akona IP to patent their invention. By spring 2024, they had been granted a provisional patent.
Elias and his teammates traveled to MIT’s EurekaFest in Cambridge to present their invention—a trip made possible by their community, which raised close to $200,000 to send them to the showcase. The invention’s reception opened new doors for Elias, including an invitation to speak at the White House on a panel hosted by then-U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, where he was one of three Lemelson-MIT student affiliates present at the event. He also spoke in a joint webinar hosted by the Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property and the California IP Alliance where he discussed the process of patenting their invention.
Elias found the experience deeply impactful. “I’m glad I’ve been part of it,” he shared. “That’s what allowed me to get this [scholarship] from NVCF, because it’s allowed me to gain experience—from traveling, to working with our teachers and other people, and just learning overall.”
A Stepping Stone, Not Just a Scholarship
Only one student is selected for the Committed Scholarship each year, which offers up to $40,000 total (or $10,000/year) towards educational expenses. As the first in his family to go to college, Elias says that earning this scholarship, and the opportunity to continue his education, is life-changing. “College means a future, not only for myself, but for my mom as well,” he said.
For Elias, the scholarship has lessened the financial burden on his family, making the difference between relying on an unsubsidized loan and not needing one at all.
“I thought it was fake at first,” Elias shared, recalling the moment he found out he’d received the scholarship. After the shock subsided, he felt a renewed sense of purpose; “[it] just proves that I need to work hard. As long as I can do my best, there are people like [those at] Napa Valley Community Foundation that will support students.”
Elias plans to use this opportunity to uplift others who come from similar backgrounds; “I’m proud of myself, and I’m proud of those that have helped me like my mom and my stepdad, but it’s definitely a steppingstone,” he said. “I have to be up to that level where I can inspire others as well.”
For the last two years, Elias has served as a classroom leader for the After Class Enrichment (ACE) Program run by the Napa County Office of Education, working with elementary and middle school students. He’s seen firsthand the positive impact the program can have—and how much of an inspiration the high school-aged staff can be for the younger students. Elias hopes to show them that success is possible, regardless of circumstance, and encourage them to lean into these experiences. “I know it works,” he said. “I’m going to college and I’m getting great financial aid, great scholarships…so I feel like I can definitely be that steppingstone for them—an example, but also for others in my family.”
About the Committed Scholarship
The Napa Valley Community Foundation Committed Scholarship benefits one graduating senior who attends a high school in Napa County, is the first person in their family to attend college, and who grew up in a household where English was not the first language spoken. Applicants must have a strong academic record coupled with demonstrated leadership qualities, extra-curricular activities, and heavy involvement in the community. They must also have a desire and a plan to return to the Napa Valley area to give back to the community after graduation. Recipients must attend a four-year college/university and will receive funding for up to four years of undergraduate study.