Lydia Patterson Institute Nurtures Students Leading Transformative Lives

Each morning, Lydia Patterson Institute (LPI) students wake up before the sun rises in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and cross the border into El Paso, Texas, to go to school. In the process, these students courageously change the trajectory of their lives and their families’ lives forever.

Founded in 1913, LPI was built on the dream, financial foundation, and ministry of Mrs. Lydia Patterson, a Methodist lay leader now hailed as a local El Paso-Juárez hero. LPI provides its students with a rigorous, cross-cultural education grounded in Christian faith that prepares them to succeed in a changing world. 98% of its graduates leave to attend colleges across the U.S.

“We are serving a very underserved student body who is making an extremely courageous decision to learn a new language and go to school in a new country,” said Carla Cardoza, president of LPI. “They are stepping away from everything they've ever known to challenge themselves with a rigorous academic and spiritual journey that challenges them to think about how to be global leaders and leaders in their faith community.”

Texas Methodist Foundation is grateful to support LPI with loans that provide needed capital and Impact Certificates offering positive returns to help LPI grow and embolden more students to become resilient, transformative leaders for the world.