Dr. Juan and Concha de Moya Scholarship Fund

San Juan Diego is proud to announce the establishment of the Dr. Juan and Concha de Moya Scholarship, a special financial aid opportunity created by the de Moya Family in honor of their grandparents. This scholarship is designed to support students who demonstrate financial need 
and a commitment to their education. 

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Dr. Juan de Moya was born July 2, 1900 in Santiago de Cuba. Although his parents were of limited means, he was able to receive a good elementary and high school education through regional scholarships. That education enabled him to overcome the adversity of poverty and eventually opened the doors of opportunity for him to continue on to get his medical degree in Cuba. It was perhaps his fascination with the microscope that influenced his decision to become a pathologist. In all his endeavors, he set high standards for himself to ensure he would reach his full potential. During his college years he became Cuba’s pole vault champion at the University of Havana in 1923. As a physical education teacher back in Santiago, he developed an award winning physical assessment program for his students. He became Secretary of Health for Cuba in 1939. And later in his life, when he could afford it, he took up photography and became very good at it. As a pathologist, he earned the reputation that his professional work was second to none and he was very well regarded by his colleagues.

Dr. Juan de Moya and Concepción Fernández Mascaró were married in Santiago de Cuba on March 15, 1928 and Juan would be the first to say that he would not be half the man he was without his wife by his side. She was his rock and they were devoted to each other. Juan and Concha had a deep appreciation for education and they were determined that their children Jean, Berta, and Jorgito should receive the best education they could afford. They lived in Santiago de Cuba, and as a homemaker, Concha managed the family budget such that their children were able to attended college in the United States and became successful professionals in their own right.

In 1961 Juan and Concha fled communist Cuba and emigrated to Miami, Florida, and joined the eventual millions of Cuban refugees who had to start rebuilding their new life in the United States, sometimes with their only possessions being what fit in a suitcase. Juan soon found out that his medical degree from Cuba was not recognized in the United States. His wife Concha provided the motivation to overcome this adversity – “so if you have to study medicine all over again, that is what you must do.” And he did. In 1961 he got a job as a technician at a local laboratory in Miami and he studied medicine at night. In 1968, after seven years of working during the day and studying at night, Juan became a Medical Doctor again, passing his medical license exams allowing him to practice medicine in the United States.

With his new medical degree in hand, he got a job at the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Tuskegee, Alabama, managing their medical laboratory. With his professionalism, knowledge and attention to detail he was able to get the laboratory accredited to meet higher standards which it had previously been unable to attain.

Juan and his wife Concha were lifelong learners and they used to tell their loved ones that “adversity is the school of life” – meaning that once you conquer the adversity that you encounter in your life, you emerge stronger, wiser, and better off than you were before. So do not shy away from adversity, do not use it as an excuse. Rather, embrace it, conquer it, and go forth as a better person.

This short story would not be complete without mentioning that Dr. Juan and Concha de Moya became U.S. Citizens in 1965, four years after leaving Cuba, and they were proud to say that they were American Citizens by choice. They were deeply patriotic and loved the United States dearly – it’s history, it’s founding principles, it’s traditions, it’s people, and the opportunities it offers.

The children of Dr. Juan and Concha de Moya also became U.S. Citizens and lived the rest of their lives in the United States. Berta Cristina Martín de Nicolás de Moya, lived to be 94 years old and spent the last 25 years of her life in Austin, Texas. Jean de Moya lived to be 84 years old, spending most of his life in Houston, Texas, and Jorge de Moya lived to be 80 years old, spending most of his life in Miami, Florida. Berta learned about the San Juan Diego High School in 2007, one year after the school graduated its first class, and she fell in love with the concept and the mission of the school: a Catholic college-preparatory school where students work in entry-level positions in the corporate world to earn part of their tuition. Berta wished to honor her parent’s deep appreciation for education by establishing a scholarship fund in their name and in 2025 the de Moya family descendants of Berta, Jean and Jorgito honored her wish by establishing the Dr. Juan and Concha de Moya Scholarship Fund.

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"A mother's love is the heartbeat of the family. This scholarship is a way to ensure her love and legacy live on, supporting students in their journey toward success."