Hispanic Business Committee awards scholarships

The Lodi District Chamber of Commerce’s Hispanic Business Committee recently awarded four scholarships to students at three local high schools.

The committee selected students from a range of backgrounds, including one valedictorian.

“One of (the students) is the No. 1 student of the school, which is McNair,” said Marina Narvarte, who works closely with the committee as the membership director of the Chamber.

The other three students came from Lodi and Tokay high schools. All four received $500. The scholarship winners: • Arleth Pelayo graduated as valedictorian of McNair High School, with a 4.5294 GPA. She served on a number of clubs at the high school, including as the vice president of the McNair Garden Club. She plans to study statistics at the University of California, Berkeley.

• Aldo Perez graduated from Tokay High, where he was a member of the track team and served on a number of different academic and community service clubs. He’s headed to California State University, Chico, where he plans to study exercise physiology.

• Sarahi Tapia-Vega graduated from Lodi High School. She was an active member of the Interact Club, a community service and volunteerism organization, along with other clubs. She is entering the pre-nursing program at CSU Chico.

• Abdiel Colorado also graduated from Lodi High. He and his brother came to the U.S. for a better life, and Colorado would like to become a doctor someday. For now, he plans to study nursing at San Joaquin Delta College.

The scholarships were open to graduating seniors who were planning to further their educations at a college or trade school.

Each of the applicants wrote an essay describing where they see themselves in five years, and were required to submit letters of recommendation from people outside their families. They were also required to have at least a 2.5 GPA, demonstrate financial need and come from a Hispanic background.