Lucia Dora Brena Scholarship for Latinas

The Lucia Dora Brena Scholarship for Latinas is sponsored by her only daughter, Brena Schwartz-Corona, to assist and promote qualified Latinas in affording and accomplishing their goals of achieving a profession and economic independence.

Lucia Dora Brena was born 1919 in Tucson, Arizona seven years after it was no longer a territory and had become a state. Mom’s parents were Ramon R. Brena of Sahuaripa, Sonora and Elisa Corona Verdugo also of Mexico. Lucia changed her name to Lucy to avoid the discrimination that she sometimes encountered in the States.

Lucy was one of six children: five girls and one boy. Mother wanted to study art in Tucson at the University of Arizona which was located within walking distance from her home on E. Adams Street. Even though grandpa Ramon had a degree in business and accounting, he was apparently “old-fashioned”. When mother asked him for financial support to attend the university, he replied, “No. She would just get married and have children. So why should he spend the money?” Mother decided that, if she ever married and had a daughter, ‘she would go to college, get an education and be able to control her own life and independence.

On December 6th, 1941, mother married, Wendell Schwartz who was a liberal-minded man from California. In the late 1940’s, they began to raise a family of 4 four children- one daughter and 3 sons.

Mother always told me that I had what she was denied…the freedom to get an education, build a career, and be economically independent. By the time of my retirement from teaching in 2014, I had accumulated an undergraduate degree, a master’s degree, 8-separate teaching certifications and had begun two other master’s degrees in two other states.

This scholarship honors my mother. When you are a recipient of the Lucia Dora Brena Scholarship, you honor her, too! Use the scholarship benefit to create your own independence!