March 29, 2006 — The University of Utah Chicano/a Scholarship Fund (CSF) announced today the receipt of a major donation from the Ibarra Foundation created by Utah brothers David and Mickey Ibarra. The $50,000 gift will establish three renewable, full-ride Ibarra Foundation Scholarships through the Chicano/a Scholarship Fund. The first two scholarships will be presented to freshmen students in the amount of $5,000 each, per year, for four years for a total of $40,000. The third scholarship will be awarded to a junior or senior and will be funded for two years at $5,000 per year for a total of $10,000. This will bring the Ibarra Foundation’s total commitment to the University of Utah to $50,000 to be given over a period of four years. Scholarship winners will be announced at the Chicano/a Scholarship banquet on May 9, 2006.

According to Chicano/a Scholarship Fund Committee chairman Manuel Romero, “While the CSF has a history of providing tremendous support and recognition to our students, we have never been able to provide full-ride, renewable awards. The Ibarra Foundation gift is a wonderful first step toward our long held goal of fully funding Chicano/Latino scholars.”

The Ibarra brothers were born in Salt Lake City. David Ibarra, a member of the Utah business community stated, “Investing in the future success of our Latino community by making a college education possible for well qualified students is our goal.” Mickey Ibarra is a graduate of the University of Utah and the owner of Mickey Ibarra & Associates, a government and public affairs firm, located in Washington, D.C. He served as Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House from 1997-2001. The brothers attribute their success in large measure to receiving a good education. Mickey Ibarra said of U.S. Latinos, “Our accomplishments are America’s accomplishments; and our future is America”s future!”

The Chicano Scholarship Fund was founded in 1973 by a group of Chicano community leaders in collaboration with students, staff and faculty from the University of Utah. In the more than thirty years since its inception the CSF has supported over three-hundred student leaders who have earned their degrees and gone on to exhibit strong leadership in the community and in their professions.

To make a donation to the Chicano Scholarship Fund or for more information please visit www.chicano.utah.edu.