Concurrent Enrollment Students Recognized with Community Scholarship

Three Cañada College Concurrent Enrollment Students have been recognized with an impressive community-based scholarship. The Sequoia Awards offers scholarships to senior high school students who reside in the Redwood City community and actively volunteer their time. More than $2,200,000 in scholarship money has been awarded since 1993. This year, three of Cañada College’s concurrent enrollment students will receive this prestigious scholarship: Maria Casique, Eduardo Hinojosa and Leslie Zaragoza.

Maria is a part of both TRIO Upward Bound and Middle College High School. She has volunteered with the Upward Bound Scholars Advisory Team, the OYE Latinx Youth Conference Committee and Sequoia High Youth Advisory Board. Through each of these programs, Maria was able to listen to and voice the concerns of her community. She wants to focus on the education and health of her peers because she sees such a disparity between those who have resources and those who have yet to be connected. Maria won the top honor given at the Sequoia Awards and she hopes to attend a four-year university directly after Middle College graduation. 

Eduardo started at Summit High School before completing a semester at The School for Ethics and Global Leadership.  He then transferred to Woodside High School so he could attend Middle College. He enjoys mentoring younger students and says volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club and Books and Basketball has given him a sense of purpose and motivates him to do his best in school. He also volunteered with Meals on Wheels and liked helping a different segment of his community. He is hoping to study Applied Math and Computer Science in college and eventually wants to start a non-profit organization focused on keeping students in school and helping under-represented students get to college.

Leslie is in her last year of the TRIO Upward Bound program. Through her advocacy and leadership in the Dream Club at Sequoia High School, Leslie has helped raise scholarship funds for undocumented students. She has run workshops, planned banquets and presented to her peers on the needs of undocumented students and mixed status families. She has also been an active leader in the Upward Bound Scholars Advisory Team where she led her cohort of students in analysis of the goals and objectives of the program. Leslie leads by example and inspires all who work with her, both peers and adult allies alike. 

Each of these students has a bright future ahead of them.  This is only the first of many opportunities where they will be nominated as change-makers in their communities. Congratulations to each of them.