Impressive group of students recognized at Woman’s Club of Holtville Scholarship Luncheon
It is a point of fact that the Woman’s Club of Holtville takes great pride in helping students to achieve their goals.
As G. K. Chesterton said, “Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.” What better way than by giving our youth a helping hand, in the hopes that they will one day do the same for the next generation?In that spirit, the Woman’s Club held its annual scholarship luncheon on May 2.Below is a list of the winners, presented by Scholarship Chair Mary Jane Kirchenbauer. The essay winner was presented by Past President Joan Thornburg.
High School Education for Life Scholarships
FIRST PLACE (Woman’s Club of Holtville) SECOND PLACE (De Anza District)
Carlos Rendon Holtville High School
Eduardo and Juana Franco Rendon are Carlos’s proud parents. He ranks No. 5 out of 127 students and plans to attend the University of California in San Diego. His field of study will be biology, with a medical school emphasis in radiology. He is also a very straightforward and personable young man.
His résumé is impressive: He’s already been accepted into four universities; attended a residency program at the University of California, San Diego, during 2017; gone to the MEDPEP Pre-Health and Resource Fair at the University of California, Los Angeles; and during his sophomore year, two of his art creations were exhibited at the Imperial Valley Fair. The list goes on and on.
Most impressive of all, Carlos is a student who plans to give back to society. As he states on his essay, “I want to work somewhere that needs healthcare professionals, so I can provide services to people who are disadvantaged. I also want to bring awareness and persuade other practitioners to choose a job location based on where they would do the most good, and not based on the most desirable locale or where they could make the most profit.”
SECOND PLACE Yahaira Cortez Holtville High School
Our Yahira is a girl with a beautiful smile and a bright future. She is the daughter of Raul and Maria Cortez. One summer she had the opportunity to work for a month with children. She became captivated by each child’s behavior and how they progressed psychologically during those four weeks. She started dreaming of someday becoming a neuropsychologist. But at first she was unsure of herself. Then she attended high school, did her best, and achieved a high GPA. Becoming aware of her true academic potential, she blossomed. Her goal now is to attend either UCSD or UCLA.
Yahaira is eager to start her college career. Apart from her academic studies, she is looking forward to joining a dance or theatre group. She also wants to being exposed to different cultures, ideas, beliefs, clubs, activist movements and demanding academic studies. She’s ready for the challenge.
Lastly, she wants to give back, by helping her parents and her younger brother, who will someday be poised to further his education.
THIRD PLACE Sarah Guzman Holtville High School
Sarah is thankful to her mother, Maria Soto, for being who she is. She is also thankful to her extended family. Her family helped raise her when her mother needed to go to work. This is a true example of the phrase, “It takes a village.”
Sarah wasn’t able to attend the Woman’s Club meeting, so we, unfortunately, didn’t have the pleasure of meeting her. She has a high GPA and ranks second in her graduating class. Her social studies teacher says of her, “Her strength as a student lies in her ability to develop positive and respectful relationships with both faculty and students.”
Sarah’s field of study will be political science. Her main focus is disadvantaged groups. She became inspired when she read a story of how a large group of Haitian migrants traveled through Central America and through Mexico, trying to immigrate to the United States. It didn’t work out, and the Haitians were forced to stay in Mexicali. Eventually most adapted to the environment. Some of the local business went out of their way to offer them jobs. Sarah feels she can help disadvantaged groups with her major. She currently volunteers at ECRMC and helps her family organize food drives to Mexicali.
Betty Hill Nursing Scholarships FIRST PLACE Lizzbeth Tavares Imperial Valley College
Lizzbeth Tavares is currently enrolled in the Imperial Valley College Nursing Program. Tom Morell, her former biology teacher, recommended her highly, saying, “She is an outstanding student who earned the second highest grade in a class of 28 students. Ms. Tavares is an excellent individual, who I believe would make a great nurse.” Her actions echo his words.
Raised by her mother, Lizzbeth is very familiar with hospitals. Her mother, Sonia Tavares, was ill for a long while, and she and Lizzbeth made very frequent trips to Pioneer Memorial Hospital. The Pioneer nurses were good role models.
At one point, Lizzbeth took full care of her mother. Now, she wants to help others in declining health or with terminal conditions. She feels that being bilingual gives her an advantage to fully help her community.
Lizzbeth is expected to graduate with her RN license in June 2019, and graduate with her bachelor’s in May 2020.
SECOND PLACE Akemi D. Lopez Imperial Valley College
It took Akemi six years to apply and get into a nursing program, not for lack of want or effort, but because she needed to work full time while attending school.
She was told at different times to just give up. But she persevered, because she wanted to help others. She wanted to make a difference. In May of 2017, she was notified by Imperial Valley College that she had been accepted into its nursing program. It was the most satisfying moment in her life. She is content because she’s getting good grades and is on her way to success.
But it won’t end there. After obtaining her RN license, Akemi is planning to go back to school and become a nurse practitioner. She is motivated to learn as much as she can. She takes the words of John F. Kennedy seriously, “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”
Advanced Education Scholarship FIRST PLACE Erica Thornburg University of California, San Diego
Granddaughter of Joan Thornburg and daughter of Rosie Allegranza, Erica will be graduating this June from the University of San Diego. She will be earning her B.S. in psychology, specializing in cognitive science. From there, she plans to apply to graduate school. Erika is good looking, smart and motivated. She plans to pursue a career in research psychology and eventually teach at the university level. Currently, she supplements her education by participating in the Honors Club, attending Psi Beta Club meetings and volunteering at a non-profit.
Erica grew up in Holtville. Her claim to community fame came when she participated in the Carrot Festival; first as Carrot Princess and then as Carrot Queen. She is grateful for the scholarship she received. Through the majority of her education, she has struggled with more than one job in order to sustain living expenses, while educating herself. Her overall passion is to make a difference in the world.
SECOND PLACE Megan Salcido CalStateTEACH
Megan Salcido is like other students who have graduated from college, then had a change of heart. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in business administration, she worked in an office environment for two years. Wanting something more, she then pursued a multiple-study teaching credential. She began the CalStateTEACH teacher-preparation program in January and should be fully credentialed by the end of 2018. She is planning to pay the three terms on her own. The realities of tuition and supplies are setting in, and she needs to formulate a plan to achieve her goals. She is therefore, very grateful for the scholarship granted by the Woman’s Club of Holtville.
Megan has always loved sports, and won a softball scholarship when she first began college. She will be running her third marathon in June. She has also been involved with Make a Wish foundation and helped with the office food drive when she was working.
Pat Salcido is Megan’s proud grandmother. Megan is looking forward to becoming an educator and making a difference.
THIRD PLACE Lauren Layton California Desert Trial Academy
Sept. 12, 2014, marked a milestone for Lauren Layton. She lost her mother, who also happened to be her best friend, to cancer. Then she lost her sense of direction for a while. After nine years in the educational field, she lost her ambition to be an elementary school teacher. Then she couldn’t decide between going into nursing or law.
She contacted the District Attorney’s office in El Centro. Next thing she knew, she’d become an intern doing data entry. Her defining moment came when she was placed in the law office of Marco Nunez, who is now a judge. At the time, he was in the middle of a murder trial. Lauren was captivated by the whole procedure: interviewing witnesses, assessing, photos, making trail binders and transcribing phone calls. She had found her calling! In 2016 she found California Desert Trial Academy, a part-time law school with a four-year program that fits her needs. Commencement will be in May of 2020!
Lauren is the granddaughter of Wanda Layton, and the niece of Julie Velasco. Both are long-time Woman’s Club members.
Eighth Grade Essay Contest (Also held during Scholarship Luncheon) FIRST PLACE Emily Stacey SECOND PLACE Valeria Estrada THIRD PLACE Ana Tolentino
All winners are from Holtville Middle School. The Holtville Woman’s Club would like to recognize and thank Levette Stiff, the girl’s eighth grade teacher, for providing the necessary guidance and encouragement the girls needed.