Approximately 30 people gathered outside the Neutra House Conference Center June 14 to celebrate the recipients of Los Altos Kiwanis Club scholarships.
Eight recent Mountain View Los Altos High School District graduates each received a $3,200 scholarship that will fund their first year of tuition and supplies at Foothill or De Anza college.
This year’s recipients are Concepcion (Maria) Perez Ramirez, Noor Ghanb, Miguel Fuentes, Alondra Fonseca, Arian Manteghi, Perla Serrano, Alejandro (Alex) Barajas and Betzaida Ponce Solorio.
For many of the students, receiving the scholarship was a deciding factor in their ability to attend college – most recipients are economically disadvantaged and will be the first in their families to attend college.
“Our goal is to give students whose families haven’t gone to college before an opportunity to jump-start their education,” Kiwanis director Peter Bergsman said.
The club works closely with counselors at Los Altos, Mountain View and Alta Vista high schools to scout candidates for the scholarships. Bergsman said they look for students who demonstrate academic achievement and a commitment to community service despite adverse circumstances that make it difficult just to get through high school. For some students, that meant poverty or housing insecurity, while for others it was dealing with the challenge of being a non-English-speaking immigrant.
The ceremony included lunch and refreshments for guests as speakers celebrated each recipient. Some teachers, including Mountain View High’s Nicole Higley, spoke to student success.
“Arian (Manteghi) can make a friend out of anyone,” Higley said in a short speech. “So many students can be cynical or sarcastic, but he spreads joy and love that, as a teacher, I have really come to appreciate in the classroom. It’s a breath of fresh air.”
Kiwanis speakers also noted the wide range of educational pursuits among the scholarship recipients; some, like Serrano and Ponce Solorio, plan to enter the health-care field; Ghanb plans to pursue a career in academia, eventually hoping to earn a doctorate in biotechnology.
Funds for the scholarships are primarily raised by Kiwanis Club events like the annual Christmas Tree Lot and direct donations to the Kiwanis Club of Los Altos Foundation.
For more information on scholarships and club activities, visit losaltoskiwanis.org.
