At 36 years old, Moyra Muñoz made a life change and decided to seize an opportunity: to study her first career. This is because, after finishing high school, her dream of continuing her studies was cut short due to financial difficulties. At that time, she decided to start her own business and took a basic dog grooming course to generate income, a job she has maintained for over 13 years.
Today, she combines scissors, baths, and pet haircuts with the world of nuts, bolts, and electricity. In 2023, thanks to the STEM scholarship from INACAP, Moyra enrolled in Automotive Mechanics and Electromobility Technology. “I had always been interested, and since it was considered a man’s career, it was initially far from my options. But I wanted to enroll because I’m interested in learning mechanics, electricity, and everything I can to solve any problem without depending on someone else,” explains the student and mother of a three-year-old son.
The Curicó native says that the scholarship was a great opportunity, but balancing the roles of being a mother, an independent worker, and a student has not been easy since she has to work in the grooming salon during the day and study at night and on weekends. “I’m giving my best in this career, and sometimes that means dedicating less time to the grooming salon, hence less income for my family,” says Moyra.
New Support for Her Education
At the beginning of 2024, she learned about the new Luksic More Women in STEM Scholarship from the Luksic Foundation, whose application process was conducted in partnership with technical training centers and professional institutes: INACAP, Santo Tomás, Duoc UC, and AIEP. The scholarship will provide $150,000 monthly to 100 women across Chile who are studying technical careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Without a second thought, she applied and a few days ago was notified that she was one of the winners. “This help has been wonderful. I have been able to cover study materials like photocopies, prints, ink, and paper, as well as pay for some transportation. It gives me a lot of peace of mind because if one month I have to study more and can’t work, I know I have this support to cover basic expenses or any need,” she says with excitement.
Scholarship Recipients from North to South
Moyra is one of the three selected from Maule. The regions with the highest number of winners are the Metropolitan Region (25%), Valparaíso (14%), Biobío (9%), and Coquimbo (9%), with the age range of the winners being between 18 and 59 years, predominantly students between 20 and 22 years old (26% of the total). Of the total, 41% of the scholarship recipients are mothers, 67% declare themselves the main breadwinners of their households, and 68% work in addition to studying.
Moyra says she is the only woman among 30 students in her course but that it has not been a difficulty for her studies: “My classmates have included me, as have my teachers, who very patiently explain everything to me. I have felt quite welcomed, the subjects are difficult, but you have to put in the effort, get up earlier and go to bed later if necessary because I want to give economic stability to my little one.”
These months, Moyra has learned algebra, how to form electrical circuits, lights, assemble and disassemble engines, something completely new to her as she had never used mechanical tools or had any familiarity with mathematics. “I have realized that it’s not as difficult as I thought and that I am capable, that I have all the abilities, and that I can achieve everything I set my mind to. Especially in the future, to be a great professional, accomplished in every way,” she says with pride.
