MATC students receive grants from Brewers, LULAC

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Area Technical College students were awarded with funds on Wednesday, Sept. 18 to help pay for school.

Felipe Beltran-Velazquez is a first-generation Latino student who said the gift gives him hope. He never thought he'd come this far. 

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"I'm very thankful. They helped me like you couldn't imagine," he said. "MATC helped me out a lot with scholarships and just help, so I can continue to study without stopping."

Beltran-Velazquez said he lost his job during the COVID-19 pandemic. He's a DACA student, which he said makes it even more difficult to get financial help to pay for school and was unaware of resources prior to the funding with the help of the Dr. Arturo Martinez Beca Scholarship.

"Right now, I am at Concordia University. I started to get my bachelors degree in business management," Beltran-Velazquez said. "I graduated from MATC in the spring semester."

Velazquez is among the 65 students that received between $250 and $1,000 in grant money, thanks to the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Milwaukee Brewers.

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"I do it because it makes me feel good,"  Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta said. "I grew up in a family that was helped and for me it's important to give back, especially to hardworking individuals who have aspirations for their future and their families."

MATC foundation executive director Laura Bray said students of color make up 53% of their student population and with this aid, they are three times more likely to complete school.

"The partnerships with the Brewers and LULAC have expanded tremendously, and we've increased our support through MATC as well," she said. "So we are excited to serve and help more students because it is critical for their success and make them a part of our work force in our region."

Over the past nine years, 272 scholarships have been awarded to students.

"It’s a dream come true because it's going to help to reach my goal to get my bachelor degree," Beltran-Velazquez said. "Something that I didn't [think] was going to happen."

Editor's note: FOX6 News translated parts of interviews used in this story from Spanish to English.