Students awarded scholarships
Campus Times
October 17, 1997
The endowed scholarship funds for 1997-98 school year have been distributed
to students by the office of Financial Aid. Students were able to apply
for the scholarships during the regular registration process in the spring.
Approximately 100 scholarships were awarded.
The Financial Aid Office allocated the funds to students who met grade
point average (GPA) qualifications as well as the requirements set up by
each endowed scholarship.
Some of the scholarships have multiple students who will be sharing
the funds. The James Irvine Foundation is an example of these scholarships.
The four students awarded the scholarships are freshman Melissa Mijares,
a business administration major; sophomore Michelle Thornton, a journalism
major; senior Monica Vasquez, a criminology major, and senior Susan Cho,
a diversified education major.
All four women fulfilled the GPA and previous involvement in high school
requirements, as well as being California residents. The scholarship also
put an emphasis on first generation students at the college level.
The University Relations office is working as a liaison between the
awarded students and the donors. Jacquelyn Foster, executive assistant of
University Relations and coordinator of the project, is informing students
of their award.
Foster is conducting interviews and is compiling short biographies of
the students to send to the donors. The process is something new and is
intended to motivate and inform donors.
"I'm extremely gratified at meeting such wonderful bright leaders,"
said Foster about the students.
Mijares seeks to be a corporate lawyer or an investment banker after
graduation. She said education and family life are "very important."
She "cherish[es] being with her family" and thinks education is
very important. She wants her "family to be very happy for me."
Thornton knew during her senior year in high school what she wanted
to do with her life.
"I loved meeting new people and the hustle and bustle of deadlines.
I work better under pressure," she said.
Thornton said her family wants her education "as bad as I do."
According to Thornton, she looks to accomplish her goal of working for an
entertainment magazine and "do as many interviews as I can with as
many people."
Vasquez, plans to graduate in May and hopes to "further [her] experience
with a local police department."
Vasquez entered the police department as an intern and said it is "a
wonderful experience. Every day is a new day."
Vasquez who "expected to get a good education" from La Verne,
said she has definitely grown as an individual.
Cho said she likes children because she "tries to be a mentor."
She "can relate to children" because she "enjoy[s] their
innocence."
Cho remembers she grew up "too fast" and began work at a young
age.
She plans to get a supplemental degree in English as well as get a master's
degree at UCLA in English as a second language.
Foster said she "is filled with optimism to see these students
as leaders of tomorrow."
"[The scholarship has] made it possible for many students to accomplish
college goals more easily," said Foster.
