Panthers awarded nearly $800K in scholarships

Four years of hard work in the classroom, on the playing field and around the community paid off in a big way for 107 Porterville High School seniors at the annual scholarship night Monday.

With their families and friends in attendance, scholarships were handed out to students from nearly 100 memorial funds, booster clubs, foundations, service groups, local businesses and individuals during the ceremony at the Porterville Memorial Auditorium.

“It’s one of our bigger events, and the kids get really excited about it,” said Teresa Zamarripa, PHS counselor and scholarship coordinator, who added that mystery only heightens the excitement for those in attendance. “A lot of kids don’t know what they’ve won — we just send them an invitation saying they’ve won a scholarship and to dress for success.”

Of the $798,558 handed out in scholarships, more than half of it was awarded to two students. Grant Snyder received a $400,000 scholarship to attend the Air Force Academy, and Alexia Hernandez received a $169,000 soccer scholarship to attend Clarke University in Iowa.

In addition to Snyder and Hernandez, five other students were awarded more than $10,000 in scholarships to continue their education: Shelby Whinery was awarded six scholarships totalling $15,150, Jacqueline Corral earned five totalling $14,750, Brianna Torres received six for a total of $14,450, Joselyn Contreras was awarded three totalling $10,800, and Hailey Johnson was awarded the George R. West scholarship for $10,000.

Mark Inman was awarded eight scholarships, more than any other student, for a total of $6,350.

One of the biggest givers of the night was Porterville High’s Academy of Health Sciences, who gave out 11 scholarships for a total of $42,500.

Money for the pathway’s scholarship program is donated by local doctors and healthcare professionals who partner with the school. Zamarripa said the awards, which come in $2,000 and $6,500 increments, are difficult for students to earn, making their reactions when they find out they’ve won that much more dramatic.

“There were kids so shocked they got the award they were shaking on the way up to the podium,” she said. The Bartlett Foundation awarded five scholarships totalling $30,000, Porterville Education Fund awarded four scholarships totalling $20,000, and the PHS Boosters gave out 12 awards for a total of $18,500.

Porterville College gave out 15 PC First scholarships totalling $15,000 — the most ever for PHS. Areceli Mejia, Emily Hu and Contreras were awarded the Beatrice Tidball scholarship, which pays $1,000 per year for four years.

The ceremony celebrates the end product of a lot of hard work by both students and the PHS staff who guide them through the scholarship process. In addition to keeping up with schoolwork and extracurricular activities, determined students spend their time and energy applying for numerous scholarships, many of which require essays and interviews as part of their selection process.

“It’s a bear to put together because every scholarship is different, but in the end it’s totally worth it,” said Zamarripa. “We’re really proud of our kids. They did well this year.”