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The Donna Bruzzese Memorial Scholarship
The Donna Bruzzese Memorial Scholarship has been established to honor the memory of FOCES co-founder and longtime supporter of children and families in El Salvador, Donna Bruzzese. For over twenty years, Donna led annual delegations of FOCES volunteers and sponsors to El Salvador for opportunities to personally interact with students in the program. In 2025, over 36 Salvadoran students have been able to attend school with the help of this program, some in high school and most in colleges and technical schools.
One scholarship of $1,320 USD per year pays for the school fee as well as books, uniforms, transportation, and “family support” — the amount of money the student would earn as a child laborer. In exchange for the scholarship, students are required to earn good grades and attend leadership development activities with other students.
“Conocí a Donna en 1996. Fue guiada por la fé hacia Monseñor Romero. Su compasión y amor hacia el pueblo salvadoreño fue tan grande que no le importó hacer largas caminatas por cerros y montañas bajo el sol o bajo la lluvia. Ella solo quería ayudar. A lo largo de su historia hizo posible llevar la palabra de Dios a comunidades pobres buscando apoyo para hacer iglesias, y unió a las familias construyendo puentes y casas comunales. Pensó que las familias debían tener granjas de pollo en sus casas y dijo que había que hacerlas. Pensaba en todos los detalles. Tocaba todas las puertas de iglesias, escuelas, universidades a fin de poder llevar alegría, fé y salud a las familias. Gracias a ellas conocimos a muchas personas maravillosas. Donna no descansó ni en la pandemia, siempre estaba preocupada por todos. Pero sobre todo aporto para construir una nueva juventud por medio del programa de becas, jóvenes que jamas pensaron en ser profesionales hoy lo son.” –Nuria Mónico, Executive Director, FOCES El Salvador
“I met Donna in 1996. She was guided by her faith to follow in the footsteps of Archbishop Romero. Her compassion and love for the Salvadoran people were so great that she didn’t mind making long journeys through hills and mountains, whether in the sun or the rain. She simply wanted to help. Throughout her life, she made it possible to bring the word of God to impoverished communities, seeking support to build churches, and uniting families by constructing bridges and community centers. She believed that families should have chicken farms at their homes and insisted that they be built. She thought of every detail. She knocked on the doors of churches, schools, and universities to bring joy, faith, and health to families. Thanks to her, we met many wonderful people. Donna didn’t rest even during the pandemic; she was always concerned about everyone. But above all, she contributed to building a better future for young people through the scholarship program, enabling young people who never thought they could become professionals to achieve their dreams.” ––Nuria Mónico, Executive Director, FOCES El Salvador