The Rafael Bernabeu Foundation, which oversees the social responsibility initiatives of the Instituto Bernabeu, hosted a heartfelt ceremony to honor scholarship recipients. Thirteen exceptional students across Nursing, Biotechnology, Biology, and Medicine were celebrated. This marks the seventh edition of the scholarship program, which aims to ease the financial burden for promising university students facing economic challenges amid ongoing social pressures.
Scholars from diverse regions of Spain and their families gathered to receive the awards, each accompanied by a support package of 2,500 euros. The event drew the attendance of university, political, and academic leaders who came together to show their backing for the scholars’ academic journeys. Dr. Rafael Bernabeu, founder of the Instituto Bernabeu and president of the Foundation, articulated the program’s purpose: to clear a path for students with outstanding grades who struggle to secure funding or to enroll in university due to financial barriers.
Dr. Bernabeu underscored the Foundation’s mission of widening access to information and assistance for those pressed for time by financial constraints, ensuring they can still pursue meaningful study. At the Foundation’s level, the awarded scholarships form Phase VII of the program, which received a robust response with forty applications. Each applicant was recognized for a combination of stellar academic records, devotion to healthcare, and the realities of their family financial situations. The organizers expressed confidence that the scholarship would contribute to the cultivation of thirteen successful healthcare professionals whose careers hold promise for the future.
The ceremony featured remarks from prominent figures who aided in presenting the awards, led by Dr. Bernabeu and supported by a slate of academic and public officials. The Deputy for Culture of the Alicante Provincial Council, José Antonio Pérez Juan, attended alongside the Director General of the Generalitat Valenciana Universities and a Health Council member from the Alicante City Council, Cristina Cutanda. Also present were university leaders such as Belén Pico, Vice-Rector for Research at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and Vice-Rector for Students and Employment at the University of Alicante, Rosario Ferrer Cascales. Magdalena Garcia Irles, Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Alicante, joined Jose Miguel Martínez Sanz, a student affairs coordinator in the Health Sciences Faculty. Teresa Elbal Leante, Deputy Dean of the Biology Degree at the University of Murcia, and Mª Ángeles Castillo López, Deputy Director at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, were part of the gathering as well. These leaders emphasized the program’s role in supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers.
Representatives from professional associations helped underscore the importance of fostering a future workforce. Francisco José Gómez Vitero, former vice president of the Alicante College of Nursing, and Fernando Bornay Llinares, a representative of the Alicante College of Physicians, spoke to the needs and responsibilities of upcoming healthcare professionals. The scholarship recipients span multiple institutions, illustrating the program’s broad reach across the regional academic landscape.
Two recipients in biotechnology, José Luis Ivars Ivars and Yuriy Yakovyuk, were recognized for their studies at the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic School of Valencia, respectively. Additional scholars include two biology students from the University of Alicante, Gloria Rocher Ortiz and Diego Valero Lafuente, and third biology scholar David Cano Martinez from the University of Murcia. In nursing, Federica Oliva González from the University of Alicante and Rocío Hernández Suárez from the University of Seville were honored.
The largest cohort of the awards went to students pursuing medical disciplines, highlighting the Foundation’s focus on frontline healthcare fields. Nuria Berruezo Bouj from Pompeu Fabra University, Carla Candela Mollafrom Miguel Hernández University, Marta Martinez Abad who will begin studies at CEU Cardenal Herrera in Castellón, and María de la Alegría Luque Bayón from the University of Navarra were among those celebrated. The University of Seville contributed two nursing scholars, María Jesús Lorite López and Irene Sofín Martín García, reflecting strong ties between the program and top Spanish universities.
The seventh edition marks the first in a series of events planned by the Rafael Bernabeu Foundation for October. In addition to scholarships, the month featured a photography contest aimed at raising awareness about gynecological cancer and promoting its visibility. Hundreds of compelling photos were submitted under the hashtag #sentirquemequieres. A public exhibition of finalist photographs opened on the afternoon of October 17, with a recital by a noted singer-songwriter scheduled to accompany the event, inviting all participants and the wider public to attend. Inma Serrano was slated to perform, adding a cultural dimension to the foundation’s ongoing outreach for health awareness and education. [citation: Rafael Bernabeu Foundation communications]