New Scholarship Opens Door for Girls in Tech

Saint Ignatius High School in Belize and Universidad Politécnica de Bacalar (UPB) in Mexico have signed a five-year agreement to offer yearly scholarships for female students who want to study software engineering.

The agreement, announced at a launch ceremony in Santa Elena on January 22, will allow one female student each year to study at UPB in its information technology and digital innovation programme. The initiative will run through 2029 and is meant to encourage more Belizean women to enter careers in technology.

Principal Jeaneane Neal said the school expects the partnership to produce at least five Belizean software engineers over the next few years. “Every year we are to send a female student to study at UPB. So praise God, hopefully by 2029, 2030, we should have 5 software engineers in the country of Belize,” she said.

Neal explained that students are chosen through an assessment process and are supported with mentorship before they leave to study. She said they are currently being guided by Byron Cera, whom she described as Belize’s only licensed network engineer.

Neal added that selected students must be academically strong in STEM subjects to qualify for the scholarship while encouraging young women to believe in themselves and consider careers in engineering and technology. “We want to ensure that our young girls know that anything is possible,” she said.

The scholarship covers full tuition, provides mentorship, and connects students to an international network of women working in technology.