This scholarship was created by Bill Teska for LGBTIQ students who either graduated from a high school in Idaho or will be attending a college or university in the state of Idaho.
Words from the Scholarship Creator:
This scholarship is named for Robert Eugene Rosenberg and Silvia Maria Ibarra Echeverry, both of whom are gentle souls who look for the good in everyone and open their hearts to those around them. I met Bobby on the 15th of March, 1991 and Silvia a few hours later. This scholarship has been created in honor of their love and support and for the peace that they provided me.
Bobby Rosenberg was born in Galesburg, Illinois and graduated from Western Illinois University and The Alexander Training Institute of San Francisco. In the late 1980’s he moved to Bogotá, Colombia where he lives with his life partner, Héctor Mancipe. He has taught the Alexander Technique to artists and performers at el Teatro Libre of Bogotá, the National University, the University of Andes, and Javeriana University in Colombia. Bobby is dedicated to helping others, both personally and professionally.
Silvia Ibarra is a native Bogotana who tells of her often-troubled school years. She is a vanguard artist, always breaking the molds and creating new and alternative artistic statements. She is a traveler, a laugher, a helper, and a sufferer. She now lives in Berlin with Thomas Löffler, her German husband.
In the words of Silvia, as she writes in August 2006, “It is my wish, with all my heart, that each person make the most of their own being – their own precious island – and that each and every person be his or her own unlimited refuge. I hope that this scholarship may help each individual discover his or her own truth and be able to offer it to others: the truthfulness of love (happiness and the causes of happiness) and compassion (freedom from suffering and the causes of suffering) without any limitation.”
Bill Teska lived in Tacoma, Washington until his passing in 2016.