Victor Blanco Memorial Scholarship Fund
 From the age of 12, Victor Blanco was a fisherman. In his native El Salvador, he fished in the waters off Nicaragua and Costa Rica. After immigrating to the United States in 1993 and settling in Providence with his wife and their daughter, he found work on one of the biggest lobster boats in Point Judith.
In May of 2007, the boat encountered strong winds and high waves. Victor was hit by a lobster trap and fell overboard. Efforts to rescue the 37-year-old – and to recover his body – were unsuccessful.
“He dedicated himself to working. Fishing was his life…his career,” explains Alba Blanco of her late husband.
“Fishing is a very dangerous profession. We lose more people, per capita, to fishing than any other profession,” notes Attorney Angel Taveras who, with Attorney Thomas Bond, represented the Blanco family in a claim against the boat owner.
The attorneys, through their firms, Corley Taveras, LLP and the Kaplan/Bond Group, established this scholarship fund following an out-of-court settlement. “This recognizes the uniqueness and special nature of the family,” explains Attorney Taveras of this fund that is designated for Latino Dollars for Scholars Foundation of Rhode Island for scholarships.
Mrs. Blanco continues, “Because Victor didn’t have an education himself” – his schooling ended when he was just 14 – “education was important to him and he really wanted our daughters to get good educations. He would go to their schools to find out how they were doing and would insist they do their best.”
The oldest daughter, Zuleyma, will graduate from Central High School this year and has applied to college. Her younger sisters, Maria and Kenia, are in the 10th and 8th grades at Hope High School and Nathanael Greene Middle School, respectively.
The Blanco girls have grown up knowing of the value their father placed on their schooling. This memorial scholarship fund will forever enable other Latino students to learn about Victor Blanco and to continue their educations in his name.
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