“For me, this scholarship was both a joy and a source of pride because it allows me to grow in a career I love while also supporting my family. Having the chance to meet other students—some entrepreneurs, others mothers who won the scholarship through sheer effort—fills me with happiness and moves me deeply,” said Catalina Garrido, a Programming and Systems Analysis student at AIEP La Serena.
Catalina is one of the 100 students in Chile this year to win the Luksic Scholarship for More Women in STEM, granted by Fundación Luksic. This initiative aims to encourage and support more girls and young women to pursue careers in STEM through a monthly stipend of $150,000 CLP. “Thanks to this scholarship, I can pay for my tuition. Witnessing other women receiving this support as well is truly wonderful,” Catalina added.
At the start of the year, an online welcome event was held for the 100 scholarship recipients, and in November, in-person gatherings took place in the regions of Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Biobío, and Metropolitana. These events aimed to foster connections, build support networks, and encourage experience-sharing among the students.
“It’s an honor to be surrounded by talented women who are great examples and inspirations for future generations. We firmly believe that promoting women’s education in technical fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics contributes to national development and strengthens a workforce better prepared to face future challenges. We want this support to enhance their education and give them the tools to achieve their goals and dreams,” said Isabella Luksic, CEO of Fundación Luksic, during the Biobío gathering.
The four events brought together over 50 students and were held at technical education centers such as AIEP, Duoc UC, Inacap, and Santo Tomás, institutions where the scholarship recipients are pursuing their studies. The gatherings included various activities, discussion spaces, and talks by female leaders and role models in the STEM field, aiming to inspire and empower the students.
In Coquimbo, the keynote speaker was Yuvitza Sáez, a representative of Women in Mining, a non-governmental organization promoting women’s inclusion and professional development in the mining sector. Yuvitza delivered a talk on female empowerment in STEM fields to the scholarship winners.
Yuvitza provided an overview of Chile’s mining history and advancements made in this field through opportunity creation and awareness efforts. For example, she explained that while women in Chile were prohibited from entering mines until 1996, the country now ranks second worldwide (after Australia) in female participation in mining within less than 30 years. “Chile has become a global benchmark for sustainable, diverse, and inclusive mining with female talent. This proves that we have the skills and abilities; we just need the support,” she said.
At the end of the event, Dafne Lemus, an Automotive Mechanics student at INACAP, reflected on the importance of such initiatives: “They’re a great opportunity to learn about the challenges in our careers and connect with women who might one day be our colleagues. We women need to believe in ourselves more because it’s clear we can achieve great things.”
The Luksic Scholarship for More Women in STEM is one of the education programs by Fundación Luksic, aimed at enhancing the personal and professional trajectories of students in Chile’s technical education system. This scholarship is also part of the campaign led by the foundation Mujeres que todo lo pueden, which seeks to increase female participation in these fields.
In the first half of 2025, the scholarship will open a new selection process to support another 100 women across Chile in their education. More details will be available at www.fundacionluksic.cl.
