Higher education can open doors to opportunity, economic mobility, and long-term professional success. For many Hispanic and Latino students, however, the path to college can be complicated by financial barriers and limited access to the resources and professional connections that help students navigate their educational journeys.

In Southwestern Pennsylvania, La Promesa Foundation is working to make higher education more accessible by providing scholarships to academically talented Hispanic and Latino students. Since its founding in August 2022, the organization has awarded $96,000 in scholarships and supported more than 50 students pursuing higher education and career training.

While financial assistance is central to its mission, La Promesa is also exploring ways to connect students with educational resources, mental health support, and professionals who can help them envision their futures. Its approach reflects a commitment to helping students not only pursue an education but also access opportunities to build successful careers.

A Mission Inspired by Educational Opportunity

La Promesa Foundation was founded by Jesús Torres, a Puerto Rican native whose own educational journeyshaped his commitment to expanding opportunities for students.

During high school, Torres moved alone from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States to pursue educational opportunities and his passion for basketball. His journey eventually led him to Penn State, where he earned a degree in accounting with a minor in business law.

Navigating education away from home gave Torres firsthand experience pursuing academic and personal goals in a new environment. His professional background in accounting, finance, and auditing further strengthened his interest in creating opportunities for students to pursue their ambitions.

In August 2022, he established La Promesa Foundation to help address financial barriers facing Hispanic and Latino students in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The organization's name, La Promesa, means “The Promise.” It represents a commitment to recognizing students' achievements and helping them pursue their educational goals. The foundation's mission is rooted in the belief that students should have opportunities to advance their education and develop their potential, regardless of the financial challenges they may face.

From One Basketball Fundraiser to a Growing Mission

La Promesa Foundation´s growth began with a relatively modest goal. When Jesús Torres organized the foundation's first Celebrity Basketball Fundraiser, he hoped to raise enough money to provide a scholarship to just one student that year.

The event brought together reality television personalities, athletes, and other recognizable figures, who used  their platforms and influence to support educational opportunities for Hispanic and Latino students. By combining entertainment, community engagement, and philanthropy, Torres created an event that brought people together around a meaningful cause.

What began with the hope of helping one student has grown into an organization that has awarded $96,000 in scholarships and supported more than 50 students pursuing higher education and career training.

That growth required perseverance, a willingness to take risks, and the support of people who believed in the mission. Sponsors, volunteers, community partners, and event participants have helped La Promesa expand its reach and create opportunities for more students.

For Torres, the journey reinforces an important lesson: meaningful change can start with a small idea, but turning that idea into something lasting requires persistence, self-belief, and surrounding yourself with people who believe in your vision.

The Celebrity Basketball Fundraiser continues to be an important part of La Promesa's efforts to raise scholarship funds and engage the broader community in supporting education. By bringing together individuals from entertainment, sports, business, and the local community, the event helps shine a spotlight on the importance of investing in students' futures.

From initially hoping to fund one student's education to supporting more than 50 students, La Promesa's journey demonstrates what can happen when a clear mission is combined with perseverance and a community willing to believe in what is possible.

Scholarships That Help Students Move Forward

For many students, the cost of higher education extends well beyond tuition. Books, supplies, transportation, and other expenses can add financial pressure, particularly for students balancing school with work and family responsibilities.

La Promesa Foundation addresses some of these challenges through scholarships generally ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, with additional support available for eligible students pursuing trade school education. These awards help students manage education-related expenses and reduce some of the financial obstacles associated with pursuing their goals.

Since its establishment, the foundation has awarded $96,000 in scholarships to support more than 50 students. Each award represents an investment in a student's educational journey and the opportunities that education can create.

La Promesa's application process asks students to provide academic transcripts, proof of school acceptance, a résumé, and an essay. These materials allow applicants to demonstrate their academic achievements, share their aspirations, and explain how further education will help them work toward their goals.

The foundation recognizes that students pursue different educational pathways. While many aspire to attend four-year colleges and universities, others pursue associate degrees, technical certifications, or trade programs that prepare them for specialized careers. Supporting these pathways is important to expanding educational opportunity and recognizing students´ diverse talents and ambitions.

Scholarships are not intended to solve every financial challenge a student may encounter. However, they can help reduce the burden of educational expenses and provide students and their families with meaningful support as they invest in the future.

For La Promesa, the goal is to help students take the next step in their education and continue working toward their academic and professional aspirations.

Supporting Students Beyond Financial Assistance

Access to higher education involves more than affording tuition. Students must also navigate academic expectations, personal responsibilities, and the transition to new educational environments. These challenges can affect their ability to remain focused, seek help, and succeed in school.

Recognizing the connection between well-being and educational achievement, La Promesa Foundation partnered with Ayúdate to provide scholarship recipients with access to culturally responsive mental health services at no cost.

The partnership expands the resources available to students by recognizing that mental health can play an important role in their educational experience. Financial assistance may help students enroll in school, but access to appropriate support can also be valuable as they navigate the demands of their studies and personal lives.

Culturally responsive services can help students feel understood in the context of their backgrounds, lived experiences, and family dynamics. For Hispanic and Latino students, these considerations may be especially relevant as they navigate expectations around education, family responsibilities, and future career choices.

Through its collaboration with Ayúdate, La Promesa is working to complement financial assistance with additional support for scholarship recipients. The partnership illustrates how community organizations can collaborate with specialized providers to address challenges beyond the cost of education.

This approach reinforces the foundation's commitment to student success by recognizing that educational access and student well-being are connected.

Connecting Education with Future Opportunities

As La Promesa Foundation continues to develop its programs, it is also exploring ways to help students connect their educational experiences with future career opportunities.

One example took place at the foundation's inaugural gala. When planning the event, La Promesa strategically seated scholarship recipients alongside sponsors and professionals whose industries aligned with the students' academic majors and career interests. The intention was to create opportunities for meaningful conversations and allow students to learn directly from professionals working in fields they may one day enter.

Although these efforts are still developing, the experience reflects the foundation's interest in helping students see how their education can translate into professional opportunities.

La Promesa plans to build on this approach by developing additional opportunities for career exploration, networking, mentorship, and leadership development. These initiatives are intended to complement the foundation's scholarship program and help students learn about different industries, professional pathways, and the skills needed to pursue their goals.

For students who may not already have established professional networks, opportunities to meet and speak with individuals in their fields of interest can provide valuable exposure. These conversations can help students ask questions, learn about career options, and begin understanding the possibilities available to them after graduation.

By gradually expanding these connections, La Promesa hopes to strengthen the relationship between educational access and long-term career development.

Investing in Educational Opportunity

La Promesa Foundation's work is part of a broader effort to ensure that Hispanic and Latino students have the resources and opportunities to pursue higher education. Through scholarships, partnerships, and other emerging initiatives, the organization is building a foundation for supporting students at different stages of their educational journeys.

As the organization grows, its priorities include expanding scholarship opportunities, strengthening partnerships, and developing additional ways to connect students with resources that support their academic and professional goals.

No single organization can address the need for education support alone. Nonprofits, educational institutions, businesses, and community partners all have a role to play in helping students access higher education and prepare for the workforce.

For La Promesa, every scholarship represents more than financial assistance. It represents an investment in a student's potential and an opportunity to help make further education possible. By complementing scholarships with mental health resources and building connections between students and professionals, the foundation is working toward a broader vision of educational support.

When students have the opportunity to pursue an education, they gain more than a credential. They gain the potential to expand their career options, strengthen their economic opportunities, and contribute to the communities they call home. Through its work, La Promesa Foundation is investing in that potential, one student at a time.

About the author

Jesús Torres is the Puerto Rican-born Founder and President of La Promesa Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for Hispanic and Latino students in Southwestern Pennsylvania. After moving to the mainland United States alone during high school to pursue basketball and education, he earned an accounting degree from Penn State and became a Certified Public Accountant.