Who is Who at the San Pedro Foundation? Lucelli Sanchez

My name is Lucelli Ivannie Sanchez. I was born on April 9th, 1991, at the old Belize hospital in Belize City to my parents Esther and Ivan Sanchez . I am the eldest of four girls (Nirsa Leilani, 18, Emily Francis, 15, and Analuisa Esther, 9).

From left to right: Lucelli, Emily, and Nirsa (Analuisa was not yet born).

I grew up in the village of San Lazaro, Orange Walk, during my early childhood years. As my grandmother said, and my parents consented, I was baptized Catholic as a baby ( quite unjust... they took advantage I couldn't yet speak). Our house was close to my paternal grandmother. Living there was fun, sometimes I got scold or lashed as I was quite mischievous and energetic--what else can be expected from a girl that grew up with three boys? I seldom visited my maternal grandmother. I spent most of my childhood days with my father's family. I attended both the San Felipe Roman Catholic School and the San Lazaro Roman Catholic School. I excelled at primary school, and most people used to say that they cannot expect less as my father was a school teacher. As a student in the San Lazaro RC School I participated in the softball team, in the National Drug Awareness Contest (NDAC) and Spelling Bee Contest. Yes, I did had some victories, but did not managed to enter the national level. Sadly, my paternal grandmother died when I was eleven years old. Then, things started changing. I was transferred from the San Lazaro Roman Catholic School to the San Lazaro Methodist Protestant School. My mother and father started attending the Adventist Church and I was baptized that same year (this time it was me that made the decision). Whilst attending the SLMPS, I entered the Spelling Bee contest once again. This time I brought the victory home! I graduated as the valedictorian from the San Lazaro Methodist Protestant School. I started to attend the Belize Adventist College, located in Calcutta, Corozal, in the years 2004-2008. Whilst there, I made too many friends and met exceptional teachers. They were my inspiration each day. I also participated in the Food Contest. We managed to reach the national level, but sad to say, we lost. My parents moved to San Pedro Ambergris Caye in the year 2006, for some undisclosed reasons. I stayed at my maternal grandmother's house until the day that I graduated. I graduated as the salutatorian, with honors. I moved to San Pedro two days after my graduation in June, 2008. I started working as a waitress at a Pizzeria for a few months. Then I started training as a pharmacist. After two weeks of training, I officially started working as a trained pharmacist assistant at Quality Pharmacy, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. I have three years experience, and have been working on and off at the pharmacy ever since. I am proud to say the my boss (Dorothea Pineda) has been a great inspiration and a great teacher. I have learned so much from her.

I started studying at UB in the year 2009. I am presently doing my Bachelor's degree in Nursing. So far I am officially a second year student nurse. Reason being, I have taken two years off to work at the pharmacy and save money so that I could have continued studying.

(A special friend of mine and I at the beginning of the World Diabetes Day Conference hosted at the University of Belize on Nov. 14, 2013)

While at UB I have made many friends, but this time, they are more like sisters to me. We have shared too many memorable experiences.

(This is me, at an awesome photo shoot at the end of the school day. Had a great time with three of my closest friends).

My lifelong goal, with God's help, is to finish UB as a RN (registered nurse), do my three years experience at the San Pedro Polyclinic, go to UWI, to earn my degree as either a pediatric nurse or as a physician assistant, then go to Africa as a missionary nurse.

(Two of my closest friends and I walking down the road and enjoying the lovely view of a small village known as St. Margaret Village, Cayo).

I met Ms. Renita a few years ago, through my mother, who was an employee of hers at that time. Ms. Renita introduced me to the Foundation and Mr. ken and Mrs. Jenny Osterman. I applied for a scholarship about an year after knowing them. I am now proud to say that I am a proud recipient of a San Pedro Foundation Scholarship. I am also the main blogger for the organization since July, 2013! It has been quite an awesome experience.

A Successful Fundraising Event

Ken and Jenny Osterman recently had a Friends of Belize (FOB) Party to benefit the San Pedro Foundation (SPF).  The event was held at their neighborhood swimming pool and cabaña in Martinsville, New Jersey.

Ken and Jenny invited all their friends who had visited them in Belize since 1991.  They also invited friends who have had to listen to them talk about Belize for the past 22 years.  Almost 60 people attended!

Kelly McGuire attended the party and provided the entertainment. Kelly donated 20% of the sales of CDs and shirts to the SPF.  He also auctioned off a collection of CDs, shirts and hats to raise more money for the SPF.

Kelly played his guitar and sang for over three hours.  He was joined that night by John Haney, singing and playing the harmonica.  John lives in Brick, NJ, about an hour from Ken and Jenny’s house.  He and Kelly met in Key West, Florida about ten years ago.  He was a great addition to the show.

Guests enjoyed shrimp ceviche, guacamole, quesadillas, tomatillo salsa, barbecued chicken and spareribs, rice and beans, potato salad, cole slaw, pineapple, mango, coconut and watermelon, with flan and key lime pie for dessert.  Belikin beer was not available so substitutions were made.

Free-will donations from guests resulted in a total of $6,100 USD ($12,200 BZD) being raised for the San Pedro Foundation.

Ken stated the following in an e-mail sent to me: “I am happy to report that our FOB (Friends of Belize) Party was quite a success Saturday night. The weather was perfect.  The food was good. Kelly McGuire was...well, he was Kelly McGuire. Probably half of the 60 people there had not heard him before. Everyone left loving him and his music. A friend of Kelly's, John Haney, sat in for the night on harmonica. The man is great! And he is from Brick, NJ...about an hour from us. This was a fair amount of work for Jenny and me. But, boy, was it worth it!

Even through those few sentences he sent to me via e-mail I could feel the exitement he must have been feeling throughout the event. Just imagine, the lovely music buzzing in your ears while savoring a delicious platter of barbecue, tomatillo sauce, and some key lime pie! Boy, I wish I would have been there myself. I pray this may be one of the many successful fundraising events. There are more students out there who aspire a higher education but do not have the means to continue forward. The San Pedro Foundation needs more support!

The San Pedro Foundation is a non-profit organization, registered with the Government of Belize.  It exists to aid the youth of San Pedro who want to go on to higher education beyond the age of sixteen.

The SPF was formed in 1993 by property owners at the Belize Yacht Club.  Hank and Mary Agler, from Indiana, were the founders.  Mary had been a teacher in Indiana and knew the importance of a good education.  Hank passed away in 2008, but Mary still takes an active interest in the functions of the foundation.  Ken and Jenny have been board members for almost twenty years.

The scholarships are for two years and a total of $3,200 BZD ($1,600 US).

To this date the foundation has given scholarship money to thirteen students and many of those people have returned to live and work in San Pedro.

Most of the donations to the SPF come from visitors to Ambergris Caye who have thoroughly enjoyed their stay in San Pedro and want to do something to help out.

Current board members are Claudio Azueta, President; Renita Dellacca, Vice President; Ken Osterman, Treasurer; Jenny Osterman, Secretary and Anthony Anderson, Director.