2013 Recipients: Please click on one of the following names to read their inspirational story.

• Luis Ayala
  • 

    My name is Luis Miguel Ayala Rangel, the youngest of five children. I was born in Morelia, Michoacán where I spent eleven years of my life before my mother decided that it was time for us to immigrate to the United States in order to have a better life. My father passed away shortly after I was born. Because we have a large family, my mother had many struggles as she tried to provide for us. Subsequently, my two oldest brothers had to drop out of high school to work and help my mother. Seeing the sacrifice my mother and brothers made has had a huge impact in my life. I hope to one day be a successful individual so that my family’s sacrifice will not be in vain.

    I recently graduated from South Medford High School as a Valedictorian, and next fall I will be attending Southern Oregon University where I was one of twenty-five students chosen to be part of the inaugural class of the Honors College. Apart from being in the Honors program, I plan to pursue Pre-Optometry education at SOU and eventually transfer to Pacific University where I will graduate as a Doctor of Optometry. I hope to become an Optometrist so that I can hold free eye clinics around the Rogue Valley and help people who cannot afford glasses or checkups like I once experienced.

    This scholarship will not only allow me to keep pursuing my dreams but one day change the lives of many.

• Gregorio Alegria
  • 

    My name is Gregorio Alegria Jr. and I recently graduated from South Medford High School. I am the only boy in a household of three women. I live with my mom and two sisters; one is 21 years of age and finished her third year of college. The other is 12 and entering middle school. Growing up, I had faced some challenges that many would have used as an excuse to quit on themselves. However, I have managed to stay confident, and used it as a motive to prove to myself that even though I may not have had the perfect home life, I can still succeed in life and create my own path of happiness. The things I have achieved in my life have been a result of my responsibility, perseverance, determination, and hard work. Graduating high school was an awesome experience, but my next step is college. I will be attending Southern Oregon University in the fall. I plan to enroll in the pre-dental program and have a minor in human sciences. After college, I plan to transfer to Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) where I hope to be enrolled in their dental school. I have no doubt in my mind that I will reach my goals and when I accomplish them, I hope to impact the Latinos in my community who struggle financially and can’t afford proper oral care. I will make an effort to provide them a place where their smile will last forever. h

• Glenn Alvarez
  • 

    In place where obscurity and poverty rule, where violence is "acceptable," where working long in the heat earns little money, and where seeing corpses on roads is a normal occurrence, how does one escape such a place? Run. My parents moved from their native countries to the USA escaping such lives as described while still young. They still faced adversity in this land, but fortunately they both ended up in Los Angeles. My dad found a job as a constructer worker and my mom was a maid. One day, they bumped into to each other and a whole new life began. They moved together to Southern Oregon, which is now the home of my family.

    I’m half Salvadoran and half Mexican; In total, there are seven people in our family; two parents, four sisters and myself. We're here because of our parents; they worked hard and sacrificed for our entire family so that we can have special lives. I’ve been given numerous philosophical tips and loads of advice from my parents. I thank them for those wise words because they will help me as my life progresses. I'll be attending George Fox University—a place I admire for their prestigious academic programs and dedication to the Christian faith—this fall. I want to prevent others from going through the hardship my parents suffer, and I will thus use my talents in the future to make positive changes in the world. I thank God for guiding my family in the path of life.

• Jesus De la Cruz
  • 

    My name is Jesus De la Cruz; I was born In Ashland Oregon and have lived in the Rogue Valley my entire life. My parents immigrated to the United over twenty years ago. They were in search for a better life where they wouldn’t have to work as hard and receive a higher pay to support our family. My mom stopped working when I was about four years old so that she could take care of me because my babysitter would charge too much and wouldn’t do her job of watching me properly. I am now 18 years old, and since then, my dad has been the only one in our family who has had a job and has worked full time to pay every single bill. My family doesn’t have the ability to help pay for my future education, therefore, this scholarship will help me reach my goal of attending a university and pursuing my dreams.

    I will be attending Southern Oregon University, and will be taking the courses required for my first two years there. After my first two years, I plan on transferring to Oregon State University where there high rated programs can help me pursue my dream of becoming an athletic trainer. After becoming an athletic trainer, I plan on helping those injured athletes get back on the field quicker than they normally would.

• Orlando De la Cruz
  • 

    Poverty, it’s one of my family’s biggest flaws but, also our greatest motivation. Every day my family lives to survive another day just like any other family. The difference is how we came to be. Being evicted from our home so young as a family, has moved us to never let go of our faith again. I am hard headed just like my father taught me to be. Loving and caring just like my mother showed me. And also the guardian and glue to the siblings I have. I have worked for what I earn just like every adult in my family.

    Entering college I plan to pursue an EMDA (Emerging Media & Digital Arts) major, with emphasis on Business Marketing. I am also highly considering continuing my seven years of wrestling all the way through college. Being a three time top six state placer in high school still has my adrenaline going for the big lights at Southern Oregon University. As a FORD scholar I know what it is like to receive such help from a community like the Southern Oregon Latino Scholarship Fund. I know to be humble toward every opportunity that is given to me because it aids me to pursue my dream career and keeps me on the right paths in life.

• Manuel Fletes-Arochi
  • 

    I am a recent graduate from Eagle Point High School, and receiving a high school diploma has been a significant accomplishment in my education. When I was 14 years-old, my family and I emigrated from Mexico to the USA. I remember that I only knew the basics of the English language, and it was a struggle to communicate with my teachers, and adapt to a new culture.

    However, my struggles went beyond my education. As a new family living in the USA, we had nowhere to live but in my aunt’s house, which was not big enough for two families. My parents worked long hours at orchards and fruit factories to improve our living situation. Despite of these challenges, I spent countless hours studying over and over every single lesson learned in my ELD class, and soon I saw the results of my dedication. I became proficient in English in less than two years, and promoted from the ELD program by the end of my sophomore year in high school.

    I now have goals focused in attending the University of Oregon, where I hope to purse a major in Education. I’m determined to work hard to pursue my post-secondary education because it’s the reflection of my tenacity to succeed, as well as the sacrifices my parents made to bring me to the USA. My determination to accomplish my goals will someday help me make a significant difference not just in my family but also in upcoming generations of Hispanic students.

• Miria Mercado
  • 

    Archie Panjab once inspirationally said, “Sometimes my ethnicity is relevant, other times not. I definitely get the best of both worlds”. Being a Latina in the United States I definitely get the best of both worlds getting to experience both countries’ cultures. My parents coming from Zacatecas and Durango I get to experience firsthand the richness of both cultures found in the different regions of Mexico. Additionally, living in the melting pot the U.S is known for provides an experience like no other. I come from a hard working family that has been supporting me all my life as well as bestowing the riches of our culture upon me. I am the only daughter in a family of five, the first to graduate high school, and the first to attend college. By attending and completing college I want to make my family proud and set a path that my two little brothers will follow. In the fall of 2013 I will be attending Portland State University where I plan on completing my pre-requisites for a nursing program and minoring in a foreign language (I have yet to decide what language). I plan on joining university organizations to get involved and contribute to the diversity of campus life. After completing my pre-requisites for a nursing program at PSU, I plan on transferring to the Oregon Health and Science University to become a Registered Nurse.

• Daisy Osorio
  • 

    I come from a family of five. My family consists of my father, mother, sister and brother. My parents migrated to the United States and established themselves in San Diego, CA where I lived most of my life. Since a young age, my parents taught me that a higher education is very important if you want to live a good life. In this case, live a better life then they were able to have. For many years I watched how hard my parents worked to be able to provide the most they could for our family. With the help of God, our family has surpassed many obstacles that have come our way. My parents are both hard working people who have always strived for the best life for their children. Both my siblings have attended college, but having the privilege of being a U.S born, I will be the first of my family to attend a four-year university. I will be attending Western Oregon University this fall, where I will work towards earning my Bachelor’s degree and becoming a Registered Nurse. Taking courses in high school such as Anatomy and Physiology, and getting involved in a local hospital have been a big help in reassuring me that helping others is what I want to do as my daily routine. I want to be able to be a Latina role model to the young Latino population and most of all make God and my parents proud of who I will become.

• Hector Zaragoza
  • 

    Although I’m young, I believe that I have a deeper appreciation of my life than many others.18 years ago; my life was coming to an end as a four month old infant. Had it not been for a young Spanish speaking doctor (which were hard to find back in the day), I would have never made the positive impact on many lives that I have made up to this day. It truly is a scary thought that I am alive just because there was a single person in the hospital that was able to communicate the words that saved me.

    I am deeply indebted to the good that others have done for me. For this reason, it is my destiny to pay my debts and give back to the world. There will always be people that need heroes just like I did. And I will be one.

    My first major step is to graduate from Portland State University where I will graduate with a degree in Social Work. Speaking English and Spanish (and hopefully more languages in the future) I will be able reach out to people of different communities. In my profession, I will make personal connections with everybody I work with in hopes of being remembered for being the altruistic and giving person that I am.

    It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. I wish to thank everybody I have encountered in my life here in the valley for making me who I am today.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright © www.solsf.org, 2011