[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 11 (Monday, March 19, 2007)]
[Pages 328-330]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in a Discussion With Training, Internships, Exchanges, and 
Scholarships Program Recipients in Merida

March 14, 2007

    The President. I'd like to thank you all for joining us. One of the 
best things America can do is help people realize their dreams. The best 
way to realize dreams is through education.
    I'm so happy that you all have joined me to share with me your 
experiences from one of our most effective programs, which is a program 
all aimed at improving the human condition. I'm proud of the citizens of 
the United States who show great concern for citizens in our 
neighborhood. And I thank you for coming to share your experiences.
    Victor, would you like to start? I mentioned you in un discurso en 
los Estados Unidos about the benefits of this program. I understand you 
went to Bettendorf Community College--Scott Community College? Okay. 
Well, tell us, Victor, your story.
    Victor Lopez Ruiz. I want to express my deepest appreciation for 
this opportunity. Thank you, Mr. President, for sharing the story in 
your speech last week. Your words fill me so happy. And I have the 
encouragement to keep working in my community. I want to express my 
gratitude, as well, to Becas CASS and USAID for selecting me for this 
scholarship in 2004. I received also an associate degree in 
international business and trade at Scott Community College, Bettendorf, 
Iowa.
    And finally, I would like to thank everyone that supported me and 
helped me for this opportunity, my dreams come true--especially my 
family. I had to face many challenges to get an education, but I learned 
that with the right attitude and a lot of effort and commitment, 
everything is possible.
    At the age of 12, I had to leave my community to be able to study 
high school. I faced several obstacles, including the fact that I did 
not speak Spanish, because my language is Tzotzil. Now I speak three 
languages. I had to work to support my education. This is how I was able 
to study. I still continue fighting for my dream today, which makes me 
value them even more.

[[Page 329]]

    I really enjoyed my time in the U.S.A. I lived with a nice family 
for the first year. We had a hard time trying to communicate to each 
other, but quickly I felt like one of their family. I still talk with 
them, and although I miss my Mexican food--[laughter]--I thought I would 
only be eating hamburger and pizza. [Laughter] My American family 
introduced me to delicious food, and I gained weight. From the U.S.A. 
culture, I learned to value organization, civic responsibility, and 
respect and tolerance, to be able to work with others.
    I did an internship in a coffee production company in Bettendorf, to 
use the skills that I was learning in commerce and administration. These 
same skills have helped me to start a small, family-run Internet cafe 
and bakery in Comitan, Chiapas. I also volunteer with two associations, 
one is a local coffee company made up of indigenous people--coffee 
growers. They--assist with financial management and human resources, 
assist them in possessing the--certificate and serve as a translator. I 
am also continuing my education in bachelor degree in accounting at 
Universidad Autonoma de Chiapas.
    I want to invite Mexican young people to come together and commit to 
their community and our country. Education is the only means to improve 
our quality of life and achieve peace, social peace in the entire world.
    Once again, thank you for this scholarship program. I hope the 
U.S.A. Government will continue to support this program so that other 
young people can have the same opportunity that I have had.
    Thank you.
    The President. Thank you very much, Victor. What was the name of the 
family in Bettendorf?
    Mr. Lopez Ruiz. Peter and Mary Shaffer.
    The President. Well, I thank them. I hope they feel good about the 
fact that they helped you. There's a lot of American families that have 
great compassion for people around the world. And thank you for sharing 
the story.
    Marcela. You went to Texas.
    Marcela Ruiz Esparaza. I went to Texas. Good morning, Mr. President, 
ladies and gentlemen. Being a small-business owner is more than just a 
job or as a way to take a living; it's a calling in life. The power of 
having an idea, taking a risk, and starting a small business that 
fulfills a need in the marketplace, and that creating jobs is truly 
magical. In Mexico, there exists a very strong entrepreneurial spirit, 
just like in the United States, where men and women from all over the 
country are ready to engage their God-given abilities, work hard, and 
improve the life of their families.
    I have dedicated my life to helping business men and women in the 
State of Aguascalientes live their dreams and start their own small 
businesses. My center, CE INNOVA, was started in 2001 and has since 
helped over 300 small businesses start and prosper, which has resulted 
in the creation of hundreds of jobs and improved the lives of countless 
families.
    A key factor in the CE INNOVA SBDC success was having the 
opportunity to participate in a training program offered by the 
Universidad Autonomous of Guadalajara and the University of Texas at San 
Antonio, and supported by USAID. The diplomatic training program shared 
a small-business counseling and training best practices from the 1,100 
centers from U.S. small-business development network. This training not 
only helped us for better assist the entrepreneurs of Aguascalientes, 
but it also linked up with counterparts in the U.S. and helped us 
support a growing Mexican association of SBDC, now led by the 
Universidad de--[inaudible].
    On behalf of the many business men and women that we have helped, I 
would like to thank you, Mr. President, and the American people for 
supporting us. I am very proud of the work of CE INNOVA SBDC and the 
Mexican Small Business Development Center Network are doing here in 
Mexico to grow the small-business sector, create jobs, and improving the 
life of its community.
    Thank you very much.
    The President. Very good. Thank you all very much. Thanks. We'll eat 
a little breakfast now, where we can continue our discussion.

Note: The President spoke at 8:43 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Merida. The 
Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
transcript of these remarks. A tape was not available for verification 
of the content of these remarks.

[[Page 330]]