Alumnus Goes Above and Beyond

Alumnus Goes Above and Beyond in the Philippines

By Amy Archuleta

On Sept. 26, 2015, the Filipino American Foundation of New Mexico recognized Scott Berry (BS 93) for the work he is doing in the province of Bohol in the Philippines.

Scott joined the U. S. Air Force in 1975 and was stationed at Cannon Air Force Base for many years, which led him to attend ENMU. After retiring from the Air Force as a Technical Sergeant in 1995, Scott taught special education for many years in Albuquerque.

In 2011 Scott made his first trip to the Philippines with a church group on a mission to build churches. While building he saw a kid standing around and asked the boy why he wasn’t in school. When the student replied he didn’t have a pencil, the former teacher thought it was just an excuse. He took the kid to the market to buy him a pencil and other supplies. This simple kind gesture led to a whole new mission when Scott learned that this boy was one of many children who do not attend school because they cannot afford the needed supplies.

Scott Berry on a recent trip to Bohol, Philippines.

Scott explains, “Unlike the U.S., children in the Philippines who do not have the materials they need for school are often discouraged from attending class. Although not an official stand of the government, many schools refuse to allow unprepared children to attend school. 60 percent of children do not finish elementary school because of poverty.”

In 2011, he organized Educate Bohol, a 501(c)(3) public charity, which provides school supplies and other support to keep children in school. During 2015, Educate Bohol handed out over 1,100 backpacks filled with pencils, paper, notebooks, and other school essentials to children at high risk of dropping out of school.

Educate Bohol impacts students, teachers, and parents. The students who are able to attend school have hope of bettering the lives of themselves and their families by being able to compete for higher paying jobs.

But the impact of Scott’s efforts goes beyond helping children get an education. In the Philippines, children who are not in school may quickly become the victims of child labor, human trafficking and the child sex trade. Studies have identified education as the primary protective factor keeping children out of the hands of traffickers.

Scott and his wife Zella live in Rio Rancho and travel to the Philippines each year to distribute school supplies and meet with parents, pastors, teachers and hundreds of children.