$5,000 in Scholarships Awarded to Local Students

$5,000 in Scholarships Awarded to Local Students

Posted on May 21, 2018

Self-Help Enterprises has awarded $5,000 in scholarship awards to six local students in recognition of outstanding scholastic achievement.

The Doris “Do” Dooley Scholarship, named after Self-Help Enterprises’ former Board member and dedicated friend of the organization, was established to help the children of families who have participated in one of Self-Help Enterprises’ programs to further their education. This competitive academic scholarship is available to students who plan to enroll full-time in a vocational or trade school, community college or four-year university. The students were selected by Self-Help Enterprises’ Board of Directors based on academic merit and commitment to community service.

“Self-Help Enterprises is proud to award these scholarships to students in the communities we serve,” said Tom Collishaw, CEO of Self-Help Enterprises. “We applaud their achievements and are honored to support the next generation of leaders in their pursuit of higher education.”

Two $1,000 scholarships were awarded to:

Ignacio Gordillo Herrejon – Reedley (Self-Help Housing)

Ignacio lives with his four sisters and parents in a home they built in Reedley through the organization’s self-help housing program. His mother and father are both employed in farm work and have impressed upon him the need to get an education. Ignacio has an impressive 4.0 GPA and is ranked 13th in his class at Reedley High School. He plans to attend Fresno State with the goal of becoming a teacher so that he can help students succeed in school.

Mercedes Rosales – Exeter (Housing Counseling & Education)

Mercedes’ family purchased a home in Exeter after participating in the housing counseling and education program. She graduated with honors from Fresno State where she studied sociology. She plans to pursue her Master’s Degree with the goal of becoming an academic advisor/school counselor.

Among the four $750 scholarship recipients were:

Maria Andrade – McFarland (Multi-Family Housing)

Maria lives with her family in the Solinas Village Apartments and will graduate from McFarland High School. She plans to attend CSU Stanislaus to potentially become an architect.

Carlos Munoz – Traver (Self-Help Housing)

Carlos’ family is building their home in Traver. He will graduate from Kingsburg High School where he excelled in football and soccer. Carlos is planning to attend College of the Sequoias with the eventual goal of becoming a firefighter/emergency medical responder.

Filberto Garza – Corcoran (Self-Help Housing)

Filberto’s family built their new home in Corcoran. Filberto has worked in the medical field as a nursing assistant and currently attends a technical college in Fresno with the immediate goal of getting his Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) license.

The Doris “Do” Dooley Scholarship is possible because of the vision and generosity of many people including the Dooley family. Since 1997, Self-Help Enterprises has awarded 123 scholarships totaling $98,750 to deserving students.

Jessica Romero – Wasco (Multi-Family Housing)

Jessica lives at Sunrise Villa Apartments with her parents and two siblings. She will graduate from Wasco High School and will attend Bakersfield College with the goal of achieving her bachelor’s degree and becoming a nurse.