95-Year-Old Belle Glade Man Donates Life Savings to PBCC

(Belle Glade) A local man donates most of his life savings to students at the Belle Glade campus of PBCC. He made the generous offering after reading an article about the plight of young African- Americans living in the Glades

Dr. Victor Guzman is a retired University of Florida Professor whose specialty is agricultural research. He is 95-years-old and no stranger to hard work! After more than 60 years of hard work in the Glades, Dr. Guzman has decided to donate most of his life savings to students at PBCC, a donation of $100,000!

He hopes the donation will give talented, but underprivileged students a shot at higher education. It’s called the “Lake Okeechobee Muck Rat Nation Scholarship Fund.”

“He endowed that money which means it's invested and the only money we ever spend on scholarships is from the interest on that money,” said PBCC Foundation Executive Director Suellen Mann.

Mann says with student enrollment through the roof, the donation couldn’t have come at a better time from a better person.

“When we think of philanthropy, a lot of people think of the Bill Gates Foundation or folks with just an astronomical amount of money, but here comes a person who doesn't have an astronomical amount of money.”

In fact, it’s just the opposite! Dr. Guzman says he worked hard and put a little bit of money away each week with the intent of one day giving it back to the community he loves and cherishes

“Let's put it this way, I think Belle Glade is the most beautiful city in the US,” said Dr. Guzman.

“It’s not surprising, but very humbling,” says David Basore, President and CEO of Growers Management, Inc. and Guzman’s friend and colleague of about 30 years.

“I hope this sets an example for them for the rest of their life of how important education can be, and how hard he worked to give it back.”

For more information on the Lake Okeechobee Muck Rat Nation Scholarship Fund, contact the PBCC Foundation office at (561) 868–3450.