Admissions

Lake Forest, Ill. – Henry Salas Lazo ’10 and Antti Isoaho ’11 recently received a $10,000 grant from the Davis Projects for Peace program to develop a program to assist young mothers in Peru.

The program honors philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis, who launched the initiative on the occasion of her 100th birthday in 2007. Over $1 million in funding will be given out to allow students attending universities in the Davis United World College (UWC) Scholar Program to undertake their proposed projects.

Salas Lazo and Isoaho’s proposal, titled “Madres Fuertes,” or “Strong Mothers,” has several components. Workshops will be held to give young mothers the tools to be confident and proactive members of Peruvian society. The women will also participate in a business venture, as they will be taught how to use sewing machines to produce handicrafts. Lastly, a Christmas celebration will be held, providing an opportunity for mothers and their children who would not otherwise be able to experience the holiday.

“We believe that their involvement and successful adaptation to the increasingly modern society will help to lessen social injustice and inequality in Peru,” explained the proposal.

“The competition on nearly 100 campuses was keen and we congratulate the students who proposed the winning projects,” said Executive Director of the Davis UWC Scholars Program Philip O. Geier. “Kathryn Davis has been a lifelong internationalist and philanthropist and has left her mark on a wide range of institutions and countless students. The wisdom of her years has led her to look to young people for new ideas and fresh energy to improve the prospects for peace.”

Lake Forest College students have received grants all three years that the program has been in existence. Last year, Andrew Myers '08 received a grant to establish a self-sustainable chicken farm in Bolivia. In 2007, Suman Gautam '10 and Annada Rajbhandary '10 traveled to Nepal to help women gain economic self-sufficiency.

Davis Projects for Peace invited students from the 89 schools participating in the Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars Program and two other programs to submit proposals for grassroots projects for peace, to be implemented during the summer of 2009.

Lake Forest College is a national liberal arts institution located 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. The College has 1,400 students representing 45 states and 69 countries.

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Contact: Will Pittinos '06
847-735-6177
pittinos@lakeforest.edu