Napa High School graduate Tania Navarette Rios always considered herself an artist. Yet, as she got older, she discovered new things about herself, namely her skill in math and passion for sustainability. After considering who she’d become, Tania decided to pursue a career that could encompass all those facets: civil or environmental engineering.
This fall, 18-year-old Tania will be the first in her family to go to college. She’ll attend the University of California, Berkeley, as an undeclared engineering major with the help of Napa Valley Community Foundation’s (NVCF’s) Changemaker and Fruit of the Vine scholarships.
A Dream from Oaxaca
Tania’s parents immigrated to the United States from Oaxaca, Mexico before she was born. Though she’s only ever lived in Napa, Tania grew up hearing stories about her hometown in Santo Domingo Tonalá.
“It’s a very small, rural place,” Tania’s mother said. She shared some of the difficulties she and Tania’s father experienced before moving to the United States — stories that were passed to her daughter. The one that stuck with Tania the most is that her parents didn’t have safe drinking water. Tania’s mother explained that their pueblo didn’t have a proper water system to allow regular piped water for daily use. Instead, they relied on natural fresh water through springs or rivers, as well as rooftop tanks to store city piped water that runs once every few weeks. Today, access to safely managed water remains out of reach for millions across Mexico — disproportionately so in rural, indigenous communities like the one Tania’s parents grew up in.
From a young age, these stories of inequity ignited a desire in Tania to get involved. That’s how Tania’s idea of becoming an engineer was born. She would tell her mother, “I can help all over the world in various places where those services aren’t available, where we can manage those resources.” Tania intends to take the first step towards that vision at UC Berkeley by participating in their student chapter of Engineers Without Borders, something that might not have been possible without the support of NVCF’s scholarships.
It Made All the Difference
Only one student is selected for the Changemaker Scholarship each year, which offers up to $40,000 total (or $10,000/year) towards school expenses. In addition to the Changemaker scholarship, Tania was also selected as a recipient of our Fruit of the Vine Scholarship, which offers students between $1,000 and $4,000 a year for up to four years of undergraduate study.
Tania says that earning the scholarships has made an enormous difference to her and her family. It isn’t just aiding her education — it’s making it a reality.
“I didn’t have enough money to go to Berkeley,” Tania shared. “I was already contacting the transfer person at Napa Valley College.” She was putting together Plan B by figuring out which classes she’d have to take to make sure she could transfer from the community college in two years. With the support of NVCF, Tania will be able to start directly at UC Berkeley this fall.
“My parents were with me,” Tania recalled when reflecting on the moment she learned she’d been awarded the two scholarships. “I was looking at my dad because his eyes, his smile, I’ve never seen him smile so wide.”
Tania’s parents have watched her maintain a rigorous courseload while juggling work and volunteer opportunities, in pursuit of becoming an engineer. “For me, all of that is a source of pride — seeing her work hard, seeing her strive to always achieve her goals,” Tania’s mother said fondly. “She’s always fighting to find her place.”
Paving the Way
Tania grew up learning the value of hard work from her parents by watching them overcome language barriers and other challenges to give their family a life here in Napa. It has motivated her to pursue her own dreams in a way that would not only make her parents proud, but would make her proud of herself, as well.
For Tania, earning the Changemaker and Fruit of the Vine Scholarships was a sign that people believed in her. “Seeing that there are people willing to invest so much time and energy into me made me think that I can do this,” she shared. “I have the resources to do it now, so why shouldn’t I? The only thing that’s stopping me is me.”
As a Latina woman pursuing engineering, Tania knows she’ll be entering a field where people like her remain underrepresented. Instead of seeing that as a barrier, she sees it as a source of motivation and an opportunity to inspire young women and girls like herself. “It makes me feel like I’m doing something impactful,” she said. Tania hopes that representation of people like her continues to grow so that one day, being a Latina woman in STEM isn’t a big label, but an everyday reality.
About the Changemaker Scholarship:
The Napa Valley Community Foundation Changemaker Scholarship benefits one exceptional graduating senior who attends a high school in Napa County and demonstrates drive, vision, and potential to succeed. Applicants may be the first person in their family to attend college or come from a middle-income household that will find it difficult to afford college. Applicants must have a strong academic record coupled with demonstrated leadership qualities, extra-curricular activities, and heavy involvement in the community. Recipients must attend a top-tier, four-year college/university and will receive funding for up to four years of undergraduate study.
About the Fruit of the Vine Scholarship:
The Fruit of the Vine Scholarship Fund benefits graduating Napa County high school seniors and Napa Valley College transfer students who will find the cost of higher education a financial hardship. Consideration is given to applicants who are the first in their family to attend college or are employed (or have a parent or guardian who is employed) in the Napa County wine or grape industry. Recipients of the scholarship will receive funding for up to four years of undergraduate study.