It’s one thing to dream about an exciting future, but quite another to weave those dreams into real opportunity. Six high school graduates from the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance already have one foot firmly on the path to college as recipients of the 2010-2011 College Scholarship Awards from the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance.
The Mentoring Alliance applauds the hard work and perseverance of Vanessa Hubbenette, Jessica Banales, Miriam Magana, Tanya Rojas, Lucia Padilla and Luis Garcia. With help and encouragement from their mentors, these students are blazing a new path as the very first members of their families to attend college.
One student described this experience in her application letter for a College Scholarship as follows. “Having 40-plus cousins and being only the third to graduate from high school and the first one to attend college means that no one in my family could relate to the college process. This matters to me, but it did not stop me. Over the years my dreams have grown bigger and bigger because my mentor always told me anything is possible with hard work and dedication. She has really inspired me.”
Each of these students went through a lengthy selection process, including a personal interview with the Mentoring Alliance Scholarship Committee. They will receive funding each quarter or semester, as long as they carry a full load of classes and show academic success.
Donors who support the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance make it possible for students to rise above the historic circumstances of their families. The college dream is especially potent for those who are now role models for their siblings, relatives and other students.
Today the college track is mighty competitive, challenging, and often crowded. Since high school graduation in early June, these scholarship students have already juggled college placement tests, campus tours and orientation registration. When college classes begin in just a matter of weeks, they will be well prepared for the next chapter of their lives. Their success in college, and in life, will be a positive reflection on the community of Sonoma, which provided support through mentoring when it was needed most.
Laura Zimmerman is the development director for the Stand By Me Mentoring Alliance, which matches adult mentors with local students for both academic and social support. The Mentoring Alliance currently serves more than 450 children. For more information visit: www.sonomamentoring.org
