2026 Saint Oscar Romero Scholarship
Janely Cruz Fuentes, co-president of the Boston College Mexican Association of Students and a Bowman Advocate, was awarded the 2026 Saint Oscar A. Romero Scholarship by University President William P. Leahy, S.J., at the Yawkey Athletic Center Murray Room on March 14.
The annual award recognizes a BC junior whose life demonstrates the values and ideals of the martyred Salvadoran archbishop. Finalists are chosen based on superior academic achievement, extracurricular leadership, community service, and involvement with the Hispanic/Latinx community and issues both on and off campus. The winner receives up to $40,000 toward senior-year tuition, and a $1,000 BC Bookstore gift certificate.
Cruz Fuentes, a political science major, serves as a teaching assistant for the Applications of Learning Theory class, a specialized course within the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences designed to improve academic performance through evidence-based strategies, part of an initiative to support student success.
As a Bowman Advocate—inspired by Sister Thea Bowman’s legacy of support for racial justice—she facilitates cross-cultural dialogue and workshops to foster a more inclusive campus community. She also coordinates events and mentoring sessions for student groups as co-president of BC’s Mexican Association of Students.
For the past two summers, Cruz Fuentes worked as a legal assistant at Guerrero & Rosengarten LLP, a personal injury law firm located in New York City. During the 2024-2025 academic year, she volunteered at the Boston Green Academy, where she assisted teachers in science, Spanish, humanities, biology, and civic classes, and mentored high school students aspiring to attend college.
“ What drew me to the scholarship was the life and witness of St. Oscar Romero: 'We are workers, not master builders, ministers not messiahs, we are the prophets of the future not our own.' ”
She also was a program assistant for two summers at Breakthrough New York, a nonprofit college access and success organization that supports motivated students from low-income backgrounds.
“What drew me to the scholarship was the life and witness of St. Oscar Romero,” said Cruz Fuentes during her acceptance speech, in which she quoted an excerpt of the Romero Prayer: “We are workers, not master builders, ministers not messiahs, we are the prophets of the future not our own.”
“His life reminds us that faith is not only something we believe but something that we live through—how we stand with others, especially those whose voices are often unheard,” she said. “So much of my experience at BC has been shaped by that same call to be a person for others, a Jesuit value that closely parallels Romero’s example. For me, that call has been building community, advocating for others, and creating spaces for people, especially Latino students, who feel unsupported.
“I’ve tried to give back to the community that welcomed me. I care deeply about the communities that I’m a part of. When I first came to BC, I was very shy. But I made a point of being intentional about building relationships and meeting others while staying true to who I am. If I can now be that same familiar face for other students, someone they feel comfortable coming to with questions, guidance or simply support, then I feel that I’ve succeeded.”
Cruz Fuentes, who plans to become an immigration attorney—with a particular focus on amplifying the voices of Latino communities and promoting justice through advocacy and legal reform—said the Romero Scholarship encourages her “to continue the work of advocating for greater equity for the Latino community both here at BC and beyond. Romero’s life reminds us that real change happens through courage, faith and solidarity with others, and I hope to carry those values forward in my own journey.”
The other finalists were Andres I. Garcia, an economics and International Studies major, and Connell School of Nursing student Naomi Sosa.
Garcia has been active in the Puerto Rican Student Association, promoting engagement and coalition building to support underrepresented students. In Puerto Rico, he’s worked on education policy research and federal grant management, while at BC he’s contributed to research on adolescent behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, and pediatric health outcomes.
As service chair of a nonprofit that deals with health challenges in Guatemala, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, Sosa organized medical trips where she mentored young Hispanic nurses for improved translation systems in hospitals, ensuring that patients were heard and treated with dignity.
“Their great accomplishments, hard work, and dedication demonstrate a profound commitment to the service and values of Saint Oscar Romero,” said Assistant Director of Information Technology Services Human Resources Marcela V. Norton, Romero Scholarship Committee co-chair. “Their journey reminds us that dedication is not just about reaching a goal but about lifting others along the way.”
Yvonne C. Castañeda
Also at the event, Yvonne C. Castañeda M.S.W. ’18, was honored with the Rev. John A. Dinneen, S.J., Hispanic Alumni Community Service Award, which recognizes a BC alumnus of Latin American descent whose work and service reflects both Archbishop Romero’s ideals and the late Fr. Dinneen’s commitment, leadership, and service to the Latino community.
“It is really a profound honor to receive an award that venerates St. Oscar Romero,” said Castañeda, director of Community-Based Initiatives at the BC School of Social Work. “His life and his legacy truly inspire me because they call forth the very best version of myself. There is one thing about his legacy that truly anchors me: He believed that true faith requires that we stand with those who are suffering, even when it comes with a great deal of personal risk. I try to do this every single day, and it’s not easy, and I’m not perfect at it, but nevertheless, I’m not going to quit.”
The event’s keynote speaker was Clough School of Theology and Ministry Professor Hosffman Ospino, chair of the Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry Department.