Join Us: Support Central American Scholars

We are a community and organization of Central American-identifying students at UC Berkeley. Our mission is to serve Central American students in higher education and uplift their stories.

In the past years, CAFE has organized events that encourage Central American students at Cal to build a community, learn about their histories and cultures, and express joy. CAFE has taken on projects such as Student Socials, Study Jams, Field Trips, Professional Development workshops, and Community Service events have fostered a strong sense of community amongst Central American students.

CAFE also strives to support the Central American community beyond the UC campus in the Bay Area. In the fall of 2023, CAFE had the privilege of hosting and organizing its very first campus tour and panel event for high school students from the Mission District High School. Central American alumni and current students were able to share their experiences and knowledge as first-generation immigrants on how to navigate being a student in a university. Through partnerships with other Latinx organizations at Berkeley, we were able to create an impactful opportunity for Central American newcomer students.

We want to continue to empower members of our community, and as such we are looking to launch a scholarship! Our goal is to help alleviate students’ financial burdens so they can continue to focus their efforts on academics. In light of contemporary issues such as new state legislation, we intend to aim this scholarship towards Undocumented (DACA or no status) Central American students. Our hopes with this project are to bring attention and aid to those who may have less opportunities than others, especially in the face of the evolving political climate.

In order to lend aid to multiple community members, we intend on designating three recipients of $1000 scholarships during the 2025 fall semester.

This will be CAFE’s second scholarship.With the generous support of Berkeley alumna and professor Beatriz Manz, CAFE launched its very first scholarship for Central American students at UC Berkeley during the 2024 Spring Semester. This project was made possible by the passionate work of our past and current CAFE board members, and the generosity of alumni and allies. The scholarship recipients were Carelyn Cruz Gonzalez and Miriam Perez.

Our 2024-2025 board & interns!

We want to continue our work to retain the Central American student body in our organization and support Central American students' journeys at UC Berkeley, so we are asking communities and allies to help us fundraise for our initiatives. Any amount of donations is greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for your generous support.

Un Abrazo,

Central Americans for Empowerment at Berkeley

Connect with us @cafeucb on Instagram