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CUMBRE Humboldt has once again awarded its “Reach Your Star” scholarships.
Lucy Salazar, president of CUMBRE Humboldt, said, “These (10) Latinx students are passionate about their chosen majors and career choices. It is obvious that they will achieve their goals in spite of the many struggles and distractions in their lives.”
The honorees are:
Bryan Pérez Bado is majoring in biology at Cal Poly Humboldt with a concentration in ecology. After getting his degree, Bado hopes to coordinate restoration projects back in Los Angeles County.
“I was fortunate enough to take gap years and enter internships and entry-level positions in ecology relating to nursery work and/or ecological restoration. Partaking in these community-driven efforts restored a vigor within me where I knew higher education would provide me outlets to better provide for my Southern California communities and the resources to the outdoors needed,” Bado said.
Janelle Cruz of Eureka High School plans to major in political science at a California university after graduation. She would like to eventually become an attorney.
“I am going to be the first in my family … to go from high school to a four-year university. I am going to be the change in my family and the role model my younger sibling and cousins can follow,” Cruz said.
Maya Sanchez of East High School plans to attend Butte College to study fine arts and design, and then wants to transfer to a university to obtain a bachelor’s degree in design. She wants to own her own business, “designing and making people’s imagination come to life with designing their dream home, yard or room.”
Matias Solorzano is working on his master’s degree in psychology at Cal Poly Humboldt with an academic research concentration.
“‘Nothing about us, without us.’ I have embodied this motto in advocating for others as an autistic individual throughout my life and as an autistic researcher,” Solorzano said. “I have advocated for autonomy and dignity for myself as a child and others as I spent time with students in a special education classroom and gained a passion for creating change for my community.”
Yadira Hernandez will graduate this spring with biology science education degree from Cal Poly Humboldt. She plans to then pursue a secondary education teaching credential from Cal Poly Humboldt and become a high school science teacher.
“I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher, and I choose science because I love the subject. I will be able to do two of the things I love the most — be a teacher and help students and also focus on science,” said Hernandez, a first-generation college student.
Denisse Hernandez-Garcia is studying forestry at Cal Poly Humboldt and will graduate this spring.
“I hope to become an example of women of color who can participate and contribute to the innovation within this sector,” said Hernandez-Garcia, who wants to become a registered professional forester in California.
Leslie Ortega is studying botany at Cal Poly Humboldt.
“I hope to continue my studies with a focus on mycology and bioremediation to support my future career as a mycologist,” Ortega said. “My goal is to share my knowledge with local communities that do not have easy access to scientific information. I believe that everyone should have the chance to learn about the incredible potential of fungi and plants whether you live in a rural or urban area.
“One of my biggest aspirations is to ensure that my research uplifts and involves Indigenous communities. Indigenous knowledge has long been overlooked in scientific research, but it is incredibly valuable for conservation efforts. Indigenous communities have a deep understanding of their local environments and have developed sustainable practices over generations,” Ortega said.
Allison Hernandez is studying forestry with a soil concentration at Cal Poly Humboldt. After graduating, she wants to work as a forester or a soil conservationist.
“Specifically, I want more exposure to soils and the interactions it has to our ecosystem,” Hernandez said. “Back home, there is a lead contamination crisis that is impacting lower-income communities. There can be a lot of contaminants in the soil from the past decades that we do not know about and continue to not care about. I want to change that by potentially dedicating my life to just doing field work or research.”
Benjamin Hernandez is studying journalist at Cal Poly Humboldt and is also a student reporter with the school’s bilingual newspaper, El Leñador.
“My current goals are to better serve the historically underserved Latino community in Humboldt County, as well as use my skills to tell the stories that mainstream media does not typically tell,” he said. “Independent journalism and protection of the free press are things which I constantly strive for, and I hope to achieve these through mentorship and guidance from my peers and advisers.”
Osvaldo Bustos Perez is studying geology at Cal Poly Humboldt. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, Perez wants to pursue a master’s degree in isotope geochemistry/thermochronology.
“I was in the tectonics research cohort at CPH where we conducted research in the Klamaths. Our research goal was to sample two different batholiths and determine their timing and exhumation rates through deep geologic time. I would like to build off of this research project for my master’s,” said Perez, who wants to become a university professor.
Every spring and fall, CUMBRE Humboldt continues to encourage and support Latinx students through its scholarship program. Donations for future awards can be made at www.cumbrehumboldt.org.
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