Sierra College Scholarships
Sierra College Scholarship Students 2024-25
We had 2 Sierra College Scholarship students returning from last year and the Scholarship Committee interviewed our 3rd student in June. We had 17 applications this year, the most we've ever had! It was extremely difficult to choose, since so many of them were exceptional and definitely would have qualified for our remaining scholarship. We finally reduced our interview number to 4 outstanding and deserving women.
It's such an honor to meet these committed students and to follow them as they excel at Sierra College and move forward to a 4-year college to complete their education. They're focused on improving their life and their families' lives as well as making a difference in the field they've chosen. Our Scholarship Committee all agree that we have one of the most satisfying positions with AAUW! We're able to appreciate and see how our scholarships assist motivated women, returning to school, to begin their educational journey. Thank you to all our members who work on projects to fund these students!
Chair: Betty Manning
My name is Guadalupe Valencia, but most people call me “Lupe”. I am currently a full-time student at Sierra College and an active member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Sierra College. I am a single mother of two wonderful teens, ages 15 and 16, and I am also a full-time caretaker for my mother, who lives with me. I work full time as a legal secretary and have been with the County of Sacramento for 7 years. I moved my family to Northern California from San Diego in May 2017 for better opportunities and this has been the best decision we have made thus far.
I am very grateful to have been selected for this opportunity. I’m especially honored because of this organization’s history and continued commitment to the women that are going to college / university. This scholarship has opened opportunities for me to be able to continue my education at Sierra college. Obtaining my AA in Administration of Justice is a step toward my ultimate dream of becoming a lawyer.
When I leave Sierra College, my plan is to go on to Sacramento State University where I will continue to obtain my bachelor’s degree. My academic goal is to is to go on to law school. My law school of choice would be Lincoln Law School. And once I’ve obtained my law degree, I would love to practice Family Law or Juvenile Dependency, where I can work at my current office with the County of Sacramento. It is my desire to use my law degree to be a pillar in my community. I want to help those that cannot help themselves. Life has shown me that sometimes things happen that make us feel like our world is crumbling and I want to be there for those who are going through this and make them feel like they are not alone and that there is always a solution for everything.
Truthfully, my one true goal in this life is to be a great example and role model to my children who only have me to look up to. I want to inspire them to also continue their education once they graduate high school. My ultimate dream is for them to look to the future and have that desire to pursue great things for their lives. Following their dreams and being the best they can be, while also continuing to be an integral part of our society. This is the main goal for my life, that my children, despite being at somewhat of a disadvantage (with having one parent), can go on to do bigger and greater things with their lives and for our society.
Xuan moved to the U.S. from China in 2016 and is a single parent. She has a bachelor’s degree from China and was a pharmacist for 6 years but would have to repeat all her training to work as a pharmacist in the United States. Her focus is very much on her son but also on her education and decision to become a teacher, which is one of her childhood dreams. She says she loves working with children and in China, she went to the education center to teach children after finishing her work in the hospital every day. Last year, her professor recommended that she become a peer tutor and she went through the extensive CRLA (College Reading and Learning Association) Tutor Training Program. After weeks of training and tutoring for ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, Xuan created and presented a project on Essay Writing Tips for ESL students struggling to come up with English phrases when writing essays. She currently works closely with faculty and students in the Tutor Center as an office assistant in addition to attending classes. A 2nd reference said that she has the passion, hard work ethic and skills needed in a career working in the field of early education. The final sentences in the reference say “Xuan truly deserves any assistance that is given to her in support of her educational and professional goals and allows her to work less and have more time for her family and studies. She handles everything that comes up effectively and with grace.”
Lin is married and has a 7 year old son. She says that when she first moved to the U.S. from China, she was lost because learning English was a problem. She couldn’t understand and speak English even though she had studied English for almost 20 years before she arrived! After she started taking the ESL courses at Sierra College, she became more fluent and is now able to tutor ESL students. She found her interest and strength in the ESL education field and chose English Literature as her major. Her ultimate goal is to transfer to CSUS, obtain her BA and hopefully work in
the ESL education field professionally in the future. Her husband works as a commercial driver, but they are still struggling financially. She is working part time as an ESL tutor and mentoring 3 new ESL tutors. Lin’s references stress how committed she is to not only her studies but also to supporting her peers. One of them wrote that she has been very successful in both her ESL classes and her English classes. “In fact, she is working toward an English degree and is probably more likely to succeed than most first language speakers of English!”