Sonoma Valley High School scholarship opportunity

The Fabric of Society scholarship competition has expanded to include 25 California high schools, Sonoma Valley High School among them.  Seniors from 25 participating high schools across California are competing for $2,000 scholarships in De La Rosa & Co.’s third annual Fabric of Society competition.  In addition to SVHS, other Bay Area  participants include  Mission High in San Francisco, Skyline High in Oakland, Novato High in Novato, and Ygnacio Valley High in Concord.

De La Rosa invites participants to write an original and creative essay from 600 to 800 words reflecting on the observation by President Theodore Roosevelt that, “In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”

DLR will award at least one scholarship at each school. Participants must be on track to graduate in 2011, and essays must be emailed, faxed or postmarked before March 1, 2011. Complete contest rules and entry forms, as well as the winning essays from 2010, are available online at ejdelarosa.com.

De La Rosa & Co. is a leader in California municipal finance. DLR has offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. President Edward J. De La Rosa created the essay competition in 2009 to mark the firm’s twentieth anniversary. Twenty high schools participated the first two years, but DLR added five additional schools because so many worthy students need financial help to finish a higher education.

“These scholarships are an investment in the state’s future,” De La Rosa said. “These kids are tomorrow’s leaders.”

Guest judges include Neal Keny-Guyer, CEO of nonprofit MercyCorps; Rabbi Allen I. Freehling, executive director of the City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission; Annenberg School of Communication professor Gabriel Kahn, the former L.A. bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal; and actress Kathy Baker.

Contact Steve Weingarten at 626.675-2156 for more information.