Rosa Cerda Vera, a student in the Civil Construction Technician program at Santo Tomás, Chillán campus, is one of the 100 students from technical and professional institutes in the country selected to benefit from the Luksic Scholarship: “More Women in STEM.” She is one of the 19 recipients from Tomás educational institutions, the only one from the corporation in the capital of Ñuble, and one of the 12% of female students enrolled in STEM programs in Chile.
Cerda Vera, 47, resides in Ñinhue, with a life story marked by effort and perseverance. She shared emotionally what this scholarship means to her. “This help is intended for paying the transportation expenses for my daughter, who also studies at Santo Tomás, and for myself. It will also cover other expenses and allow me to save a bit to buy a computer.”
The scholarship recipient commented on the monthly stipend she started receiving: “I knew there were many supports for studying, but I didn’t know there were scholarships like this.”
This altruistic stipend will allow Rosa Cerda to optimize her time. According to her account: “Before this scholarship, I used to get up at 5 in the morning to bake bread, then I would go to the Ñiquén Municipality to sell it to ensure the daily fare for my daughter, who studies Social Work, and myself, because we have to travel every day we have classes.”
The woman, who also works as a housemaid, detailed: “I applied for the scholarship because our professor Richard Lagos, (Director of Engineering programs) invited us to participate, and I know many of us did, but I don’t know why I was the only one selected. What I do know is that the monthly aid is $150,000, I can use it as I see fit, and it covers up to 5 semesters for 10 months a year.”
Cerda Vera explained: “As far as I know, the Luksic Foundation only asks me to attend classes and not fail any subjects while I have the scholarship, meaning grades and attendance.”
The current Santo Tomás student is a woman who worked in a vineyard for years, was widowed at 24, and lost a daughter at just 5 years old. She shows with resilience that she is not afraid of work or life. “It’s never too late to learn. This year, at 47, I entered a higher education institute. I’ve always liked the field of civil construction. I started working in this sector after the 2010 earthquake. Then I built my house, and I am also one of the few female masons in the region.”
From this experience, she acknowledges: “What I like most is plumbing, digging, making mixtures, cutting with a saw. In fact, my house has 7 rooms, it’s not finished yet, but everything there has been built by me and my eldest son who helps me.”
Speaking candidly, the Luksic scholar, who returns home after 11:15 at night, hitchhiking at the San Nicolás toll, concluded: “God gives me strength, and you have to put in the effort to move forward. My children are my motivation because they are proud that their mother is studying at my age.”
The philanthropic entity’s website, fundacionluksic.cl, explains that the objective of this aid is to promote gender equity in fields where historically the female presence has been lower, facilitating access to technical and scientific studies for women facing economic barriers.
With her multiple roles and an eye on the near future, Rosa is clear that in 2026 she will graduate from Santo Tomás with her white helmet and will be the first among her siblings to hold a diploma awarded by a higher education institution.
