Mariana Lopez Baez

Mariana Lopez Baez, the winner of the 2024 Albee Aryel Fellowship Award, had been focused on becoming a nurse since high school. She graduated from the Academy of Arts, Careers, and Technology, having demonstrated her determination and persistence. However, despite her success in winning admission to the University of Nevada – Reno (UNR) with a scholarship, obstacles stood in her way. She is a first-generation Mexican-American whose family struggles with basic living expenses: food, transportation, and rent. She had no one to prepare her for the special demands a university makes, beyond even examinations and assignments. She had to figure out which classes would qualify her to apply to nursing school. She needed to learn time management. She needed health insurance, groceries, and some help navigating the UNR landscape and figuring out which classes would help her qualify for admission to nursing school. On top of that, the pandemic made the learning environment far more challenging than she and most of her classmates anticipated, and adjusting to it could be a physically and emotionally exhausting experience.

But Mariana, who works very hard, is a high-potential, talented, curious and compassionate student. That is why the Foundation paid for many of those expenses and provided mentoring and guidance.

During her sophomore year, Mariana discovered a passion for kinesiology and athletic training. She switched majors to pursue that passion. Mariana became a student athletic trainer for the UNR Wolfpack football team and quickly gained a reputation for excellence, attention to detail and a formidable work ethic, putting in very long days, especially during road trips to other schools. Mariana graduated with a degree in kinesiology and is now applying, with Every Mind Matters’ endorsement, to graduate school. She wants to become an athletic trainer for a university or professional sports team.