The Elisa Gastellum Memorial Foundation, Inc., has awarded over $50,000 in scholarship money.
It began with a phone call a week after Elisa passed. Phyllis Franzoy, director of the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference called Bobby and Terri Gastellum to extend her condolences. She also asked if they would allow the Las Cruces Mariachi Conference to establish a perpetual endowment fund in memory of Elisa. A meeting was held in Las Cruces during the summer of 2006. Ideas were shared, and all details were set in place. In November of 2006, the first scholarship was awarded at the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference.
Since then the doors were opened to give scholarships in other conferences held in Arizona, Nevada and New York!
To read about a specific scholarship please choose from the list below: