Five UCR students are awarded Pen & Honey Bookstore’s 2nd annual Books & Sueños Scholarship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2026
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. — For the second year, Pen & Honey Bookstore, an independent bookstore based in Riverside County, awards its Books & Sueños Scholarship to cultivate equity through access and belonging. The scholarship is intentionally not merit-based. Recipients were selected in recognition of the circumstances they have navigated and overcome in their pursuit of higher education.
Awarded to students whose experiences reflect resilience and perseverance, the scholarship pairs direct financial support with carefully selected books that nurture personal growth and practical life skills. In just its second year, the program has already expanded from three to five recipients and increased the financial award per student.
Recipients were identified with support from the Inland Empire Regional K–16 Education Collaborative and, out of respect for their privacy, remain anonymous. The cohort reflects a range of lived experiences, including students who have navigated foster care, the justice system, student parenthood, and immigration-related barriers.
The selected books for 2026 are:
Love, Death, and Money: A Woman’s Guide to Legally Protecting Yourselfby attorney and author Naz Barouti (signed) — offers guidance on financial literacy and legal empowerment.
The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Loveby bell hooks — supports emotional awareness, relational integrity, and personal growth.
Pen & Honey Bookstore continues to grow the Books & Sueños Scholarship as a long-term commitment to supporting local youth through financial support and access to life-shaping literature, affirming its dedication to students whose experiences do not fit traditional academic narratives.
To help support this effort, please consider donating (see below).
About Pen & Honey Bookstore
Pen & Honey Bookstore is a Latina-owned indie bookstore led by a Black and Brown family in California’s Inland Empire. With love for all people, the bookstore curates books that help decolonize the literary landscape. For more information about Pen & Honey Bookstore, visit www.penandhoneybooks.com.
Media Contact: lupe@penandhoneybooks.com
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