The Jaime and Blanca Jarrín Foundation Scholarship application period is open

The application period for the Jaime & Blanca Jarrín Foundation and Los Defensores scholarships is now open. In total there are seven scholarships directed to students pursuing careers in law or journalism, ranging from $5,000 to $12,500. 

Jaime Jarrín is better known as the legendary Spanish-language voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers and spokesperson for Los Defensores, a legal services brand connecting Latinos with attorneys. 

After 64 seasons with the Dodgers, Jaime retired in 2022 but has continued his philanthropic work through his foundation. 

In an interview with CALÓ News, Jarrín said he has been able to see younger generations who are doing excellent academically, but due to their economic situation they can’t continue higher education.

“I believe it is thanks to Los Defensores and other supporters we have the ability to help these young people, who are part of the community, getting their education,” he said.

This year’s program theme, “The Power of Believing,” celebrates the transformative effect of being seen, supported and believed in. 

The Jarríns believe hearing someone say, “I believe in you”, especially from a trusted mentor or guide, can be a turning point leading to resilience, self-confidence and believing dreams are worth pursuing.

The reason behind their selection on law and journalism

The scholarships dedicated to journalism and law were chosen specifically because Los Defensores, who represent several attorneys, was the first entity that provided funding for the scholarships.

“We believe students who have graduated from undergrad school should continue with law school” said Jarrín.

The second option of journalism is because Jarrín has been involved throughout his career in radio and television.

“I felt it was important to include my experience in this part of the scholarships,” he said.

Jorge, Jaime Jarrin’s son, said people are currently experiencing hard times due to the economy and it is very difficult when a family has to think about sending their children to college, which could be very costly.

“We want to help people who really need it while investing in the future of people who will make decisions for our well-being in the future and we want them to be ready,” said the younger Jarrín.

This year the foundation will provide seven scholarships. With this, the foundation surpasses the $200,000 awarded since 2019.

Jorge said to become an attorney takes a lot of effort, time and willingness to study and learn new things. 

In California, Latinos are about 40% of the population, but less than three percent become attorneys.

“We have to better this number; six percent apply to law school and three percent graduate,” said Jorge. “And journalism is very important because we need people prepared to observe and report on things going on in our communities to tell the truth. We need people who know how to report and write about what’s going on.”

Honoring a legacy

Jorge and Jaime said they feel very lucky and blessed to be so close. Jorge said he never thought he would be following his father’s footsteps, but now he enjoys the work while honoring the memory of his mother, Blanca Jarrín, who passed away in 2019. 

“Even though my dad has retired, he’s still very active and I want to maintain his legacy as the triumph of an immigrant who came to this country,” said Jorge. “We both know how difficult it is to arrive in a new country where you don’t speak the language but you still want to better yourself and your family and we respect that very much because we have the same history.”

Jaime Jarrín was born in Ecuador and began the Spanish-language broadcasting for the Dodgers in 1959. In 1998 he was the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The scholarship period is open until July 20. The immigration status of the student does not matter as long as they are enrolled in a public or private college. 

To apply visit: https://www.losdefensores.com/scholarship/