Scholarships Awarded to Local Students

Scholarships Awarded to Local Students

Posted on June 3, 2015

Self-Help Enterprises has awarded $6,500 in scholarship awards to nine 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 very proud to impact the lives of students in the communities we serve,” said Tom Collishaw, CEO of Self-Help Enterprises. “We honor their achievements and support the next generation of leaders in their pursuit of higher education.”

The $1,000 scholarship awards went to:

• Arturo Corona (Lindsay) – Arturo lives with his farmworker mother and siblings in a home they built in Lindsay. Arturo received top scores in advanced placement physiology, earth science, biology and chemistry, while also participating in several campus clubs and volunteer opportunities. He has a 3.8 GPA and has been accepted at UC Berkeley where he will start on the road to becoming a doctor.
• Guadalupe Carrillo (Reedley) – Guadalupe’s farmworker parents built their home in Reedley. She has passed the tests for seven Advanced Placement (AP) courses while participating in several campus clubs and community volunteer opportunities. She maintains a 4.0 GPA and has been accepted to Fresno State. Her goal is to become a doctor.
• Miguel Flores (Livingston) – Miguel and his family live in Self-Help Enterprises’ Casitas del Sol apartment rental community. He attends Livingston High School where he excels at multiple sports and where he was nominated for, and ultimately accepted into Rotary’s Camp RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Association). He also participated in several campus clubs and community volunteer opportunities. He has a 3.7 GPA and has applied to UC Berkeley where his goal is to study the solar energy field.
• Andrea Lopez (Dos Palos) – Andrea lives in a home built by her parents in Dos Palos. She participated in several sports and campus clubs. She maintains a 4.0 GPA and has been accepted at Fresno State where she will study criminology. Her ultimate goal is to become an officer with the California Highway Patrol.

The $500 scholarship awards went to:

• Marylee Herrejon (Reedley) – Marylee’s family built their home in Reedley. She came to the U.S. with her family at a young age. With hard work and the help of her school’s migrant education program, she passed the California English Language Learner’s Test. Marylee participated in several clubs and volunteer opportunities while maintaining a 3.7 GPA. She has been accepted at Fresno State where she plans to become a teacher so she can impact the lives of children the way her own teachers impacted her life.
• Sequoia Jordan (Chowchilla) – Sequoia and her brother live in a home purchased by their single mother through the Homebuyer Assistance Program in Chowchilla. She is a five-sport athlete at Chowchilla High, where she also participated in campus clubs while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She also participated in a two-week mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Sequoia has been accepted to Fresno Pacific University where she will study youth ministry and fine arts.
• Estephania Manzo (Wasco) – Estephania is the second oldest of a family with six children living in Almond Court, Self-Help Enterprises’ apartment rental community in Wasco. She helped care for the younger children when she got home from school or soccer practice while her parents worked in the fields. Estephania is in her second year at California State University, Bakersfield where she is on her way to becoming a social worker.
• Jeny Reyes (Goshen) – Jeny is the daughter of a single mother who built their home in Goshen. Jeny is scheduled to graduate high school as a junior. She has been involved in on campus clubs and has recently registered at College of the Sequoias with a goal of becoming a nurse.
• Natyeli Yepes (Reedley) – Natyeli is the daughter of farmworker parents who built their home in Reedley. She was an honor roll student throughout high school and was also on the cross country and track teams. Even though she was accepted at UC campuses in Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Merced and Santa Barbara, Natyeli decided to begin her undergraduate work at Reedley College. She plans to transfer to UC Davis to pursue a degree in neurobiology with the eventual goal of becoming a neurosurgeon or researcher.

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 101 scholarships totaling $81,250 to deserving students.