Photo by John T. Consoli
Brought to the U.S. from Peru at age 4, Carlos ’25* later qualified for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. But he remains ineligible for federal financial aid. In his first semesters at the University of Maryland, Carlos balanced his mechanical engineering classes with a full-time job at a Tesla dealership to pay for them.
Now, he can focus more on his studies as the first recipient of the Eva and Anastasios Karavangelos Scholarship, established through a gift from Anna Karavangelos ’56. Named in honor of her parents, who emigrated from Greece, the scholarship is the first in the Big Ten to support both documented and undocumented immigrants and children of immigrants.
“It’s a cohort that is not well served,” said Karavangelos, who bequeathed her estate in addition to giving current-use funds. “I’m very happy to have graduated from a land-grant college. I would just hope to make it available to other children of immigrants as well.”
A member of the first graduating class of Suitland High School in Prince George’s County, Karavangelos recalled the difficulty of finding a scholarship despite her good grades. As immigrants, her parents “weren’t that savvy about the system,” she said. But they allowed her to live at home for free over the summers as she, like Carlos, worked her way through school, and she credits them for guiding her and supporting her dream of attending college.
“Whatever I am, I learned from my parents,” she said. “They were very happy (my siblings and I) went to college. They believed in education.”
She relished her time on campus, studying textiles and design, becoming president of Anne Arundel Hall and the Associated Women Students, and working with Dean of Women Adele H. Stamp. Her passion for free speech and press later led her to become an associate editor at The Washington Post Writers Group for 25 years.
Now, Karavangelos is happy to honor her parents’ legacy as she helps those with similar stories delve into campus life.
“I’m really thankful that I was able to meet her,” said Carlos, who joined Karavangelos for lunch on campus after receiving the scholarship. “A lot of people coming from an immigrant background … they don’t have the proper tools. But there’s people willing to help.”
*Carlos’ last name is withheld to protect his privacy.
This article originally appeared on Maryland Today.