Scholarship Recipients
Evelin Cruz Garcia
School: CSU Long Beach
Major Study: Pre-Nursing
Personal Goal: Some of Evelin’s personal goals are to travel around the world as well as own and run her own business within her parent’s home town in Mexico in order to provide health and nursing care and educate her community.
Luis A. Giles-Gutierrez
School: Allan Hancock
Career Goal: Automotive Engineering
Personal Goal: Some of Luis’ personal goals are to become a concert pianist as well as travel the world to learn different culinary art styles from many different cultures in order to cook and share his knowledge with his friends and family.
Angelyse Wyatt
School: SAGU
Major Study: Social Work
Personal Goal: Some of Angelyse’s personal goals include adopting two children as well as traveling to Africa and New Zealand.
Geraldinne Morquecho Cruz
School: Cal Lutheran
Major Study: Liberal Arts
Personal Goal: One of Geraldinne’s personal goals is to give back to her parents who have immigrated from Mexico and risked so much to provide herself and her siblings.
Nansy Camacho
School: Cal State LA
Major Study: Pre-Nursing
Personal Goal: One of Nansy’s personal goals is to continue pursing her passion for art and refine her skills, craft, and technique by learning more.
Daysi Anaiz Santos Hernandez
School: UCLA
Major Study: Liberal Arts
Personal Goal: One of Daysi’s personal goals is to travel the world, specifically Europe, Asia, and Mexico with her mom and siblings.
Maria Moscarira (2021-2022)
School: USC
Maria graduated from Dos Pueblos High School in Santa Barbara in 2021. As a part of the prestigious Engineering Academy, she has learned and grown into an excellent problem solver and top notch engineer. She hopes to be an example to the next generation of females in STEM. Most of her life she was told that she could not succeed in a STEM field and that she didn’t belong. Maria had continued to prove them wrong! In the fall of 2021, Maria began her first semester at the University of Southern California pursuing a degree in engineering.
Juan Daniel Pacheco-Sierra
School: UCLA
Major Study: Pre-Med
Personal Goal: One of Juan’s personal goals is to make efforts to connect with new people, getting different perspectives on the world we live in as well as make new friends and acquaintances alike, to hopefully expanding his view on the world and the cultures that reside in it.
Jessica Zamora Sanchez (2020-2022)
Schools: CSU, Channel Islands & UCSB
Jessica was born in a small village in Mexico. Neither of her parents knew English nor had they gone to High School. However, they decided to immigrate to America so that their daughter could have a better education. Her family moved into the Lighthouse Community and participated in the after school enrichment programs. She graduated High School and is now pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Studies at California State University, Channel Islands. Jessica is passionate about her role as an educator; “Every child deserves that right to a great education and it’s my job as an adult, as an educator, and as a citizen to provide those things to them.” She wants to remain in Santa Barbara going forward as she believes her unique upbringing will allow her to identify and empathize with her students; “I’ve had wonderful teachers who have told me, ‘you can do this!’ but it’s not the same when they don’t know the reality of all that I’m facing.” Teachers have one of the most impactful jobs in young people’s lives and Jessica strives to make a huge impact on the underserved students of Santa Barbara.
Christian Mayo (2020-2022)
School: UCSB
Christian grew up in Santa Barbara at the Village. Both of his parents immigrated from Mexico and did not speak any english. He found that the Community Learning Center programs, including tutoring, helped him and alleviated pressure from his parents. Now he’s able to help his younger siblings with their studies and has provided them with insights about opportunities that he had to find for himself. Currently he is pursuing a degree in economics from UCSB. He has a passion to mentor students from a similar background as his, who do not have an older sibling who went through college and the application process. He hopes to be an entrepreneur and start his own business one day. Growing up, he didn’t see a lot of successful business owners who look like him. He’s motivated to succeed so that he can be a role model and example of excellence for kids of similar backgrounds.
Miguel Sanchez (2020-2021)
School: SBCC
Miguel grew up at the Village and has participated in the various programs. He is thankful for how helpful and warm the staff were and how it was a great community to be a part of. Miguel’s parents immigrated from Mexico and have worked hard and sacrificed a lot to provide him with many opportunities. He says they taught him to set his priorities and goals in order. Their example of being hard-working has inspired him to dream big and work hard. He has a passion for dance and has a dream of being the Old Spanish Days’ Spirit of Fiesta, an honor traditionally only awarded to female dancers. Miguel is pursuing a degree in dance with an emphasis in flamenco at Santa Barbara City College.
Franky Cerda Jaimes (2020-2021)
School: SBCC
Franky has lived at The Village his entire life, participating in the Community Learning Center programs, Easter parties, and Thanksgiving dinners. At an early age, he was introduced to cooking. He is currently pursuing a culinary degree through Santa Barbara City College and hopes to open a food truck to serve early-rising hardworking people like his parents. He has a passion to give back and serve people like those who supported him growing up.