Four recent Southwest graduates benefit from unique scholarship program
EL CENTRO — Four spring Southwest High School graduates were beneficiaries of a pilot program that provided free academic counseling, including coaching on their college admissions essay, and some scholarship money, to boot.
San Jose-based Driven Academics awarded 2018 Southwest grads Henry Liera, Veronica Boothe, Luisa Montoya and Bryan Cancel under its new scholarship program.
The program was the brainchild of former Southwest graduates Lorenzo Cancel and Armando Hernandez, working in partnership with Driven Academics founder Daniel Webster. The program provides winners with college counseling, college essay guidance and scholarship money.
Hernandez and Lorenzo Cancel are close friends, attending the University of California at Berkeley and The University of California at Los Angeles, respectively. Hernandez said they came up with the idea of the program as a way to give back to the youth of their community in a “new, meaningful way.”
Driven Academics’ Webster access to the company’s counseling services alone typically costs $50 per hour. The value in those services can be found in the achievements of the four winners from Southwest.
As a Driven Academics Scholarship Program winner, Liera received complimentary college counseling, college essay guidance plus a $750 Driven Scholarship for college. He will attend Stanford University this fall, where he plans to major in political science.
“Driven was overall a great experience. Receiving one-on-one advice from students who have been through the college application process was both helpful and insightful,” Liera said.
Boothe earned a $250 scholarship as part of the DASP package. She’ll be attending University of California, Riverside, where she will pursue a degree in chemical engineering.
“I first learned about the Driven program through a friend, and I’m glad I did,” Boothe said. “After completing the application and interview, I was informed that I had received the scholarship and with that, access to mentors that would assist me on my path to college. These mentors have been very helpful answering my questions and checking in with me to make sure I met deadlines. I hope to continue receiving these assets throughout my college career as I have found them to be very beneficial.”
DASP winner Bryan Cancel earned $250 from the program and plans to attend California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in the fall, where he will major in business administration.
“My experience with Driven was exceptional,” he said. “Being able to obtain guidance from academically experienced individuals was a privilege that all students with the goal of achieving higher education should have. Not only was I provided with counseling regarding my college application process, but I was also given the opportunity to speak with current college students who gave me advice and further guidance towards being successful in a competitive academic environment.”
The fourth DASP recipient, Montoya, received $500 from the program. She’ll attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in the fall.
Webster said all four winners will continue to receive full guidance and support from the Driven team through all four years of college, their professional careers and beyond.
He said the company’s services are designed to help students of all ages and levels with all academic needs: academics (all subjects), SAT & ACT training, leadership training, college essay guidance, scholarship applications, philanthropy, alumni networking and more. The objective, he said, is to provide students every resource they need to achieve their full potential.
“Before Driven, there was nothing like DASP around helping kids the way we do today,” Webster said.
He said he plans to expand the scholarship program to 10 students for the 2018-19 academic year.
For more information Driven Academics, visit http://www.drivenacademics.com/#.