Dear all,

As our scholarship campaign has concluded, we wanted to write and post a final update for everyone. Because of your contributions, we achieved our fundraising goal and generated $5,005 to divide amongst this summer's winners!

There were three standout presentations in the areas of Research, Innovation, and Analysis. The winners were:

Research: Black Lives Matter and its Impact on the United States - Elissa Fimbres and Yosewa Oyekami Colmenero

Analysis: The Effects of COVID-19 on Society - Daniel Noriega, Gabriella Corona, and Serena Huaraque

Innovation: Efficacy of Moderna Vaccines in the United States and Effects of Meat Facilities on Caseloads in Rural Communities -  Elissa Ornelas and Samantha Duarte

We are so proud and excited for our presenters, and we learned so much from them! With that said, we sincerely want to thank you for all your help. These contributions will reward students with book scholarships for Fall 2021, and every single donation was important in helping us reach the goal! Your generosity is a testament to all the care and strength that exists in the New Start community.

We wish everyone a safe and wonderful fall semester, and thank you again for all your support!

The New Start Team

Hello New Start Familia,

First, I want to say WOW! I'm so excited to see that we're nearly halfway to our $5,000 goal, and most of this arrived in the span of about 24 hours. That's incredible! A true testament to the "New Start magic" we speak of often. :-)

Today was Day 1 of the 29th Annual Academic Conference and we saw some fantastic presentations in the first six sessions. Here are just a few of the thematic highlights students are exploring:

• COVID-19: Students are using scholarly sources to dive into the mental and physical impacts of the pandemic on various populations, and offering data-backed suggestions on how folx can begin to thrive again as they come out of isolation.
• Technology and Medicine: Scholars are exploring advancements in medical technology and reflecting on their significance.
• The Black Lives Matter Movement: Students are engaging in meaningful dialogues about social justice in relation to policing, hiring practices, and even music and pop culture.

We look forward to Day 2 of the conference tomorrow, and we're excited to see such progress in our campaign to generate scholarships for these students. Thank you for your time, donations, and your voice as we continue our efforts!

Bear Down and be well!

The New Start Team