Elgin Hispanic Network recently announced the annual scholarship recipients for 2024. This year, four scholarships were awarded to local senior high school students of Hispanic descent residing in the city of Elgin: Diego Gomez, Yazhel Lopez, Fatima Salazar and Sophia Santoyo Muñoz.
Gomez and Lopez were part of the dual credit program, which allowed them to get their associate degree at Elgin Community College and high school diploma simultaneously.
Gomez will be attending Illinois State University as a music education major. He has been involved in many performing arts initiatives including choir, theater and orchestra. He was also part of the Youth Leadership Academy and participated in many musicals throughout his high school career.
Lopez will be attending Illinois Wesleyan University as a biochemistry major. She has played the violin and was part of the Elgin High School Orchestra. While in high school she obtained her pharmacy certificate and is currently working on her electrocardiography certification.
Salazar will attend ECC as a full-time college student starting her academic goal of becoming a civil engineer. While in high school she participated in cheerleading, softball, tennis and badminton. She was also part of the ECC Upward Bound Program and a member of the National Honor Society.
“Winning this scholarship makes me feel like a student who is committed to keep going, and serves as an inspiration for our Hispanic community. Even though we are immigrants, it feels good that we can receive these opportunities,” Salazar said. (“Ganar esta beca me hace sentir como un estudiante que puede salir adelante y servir como inspiración para nuestra comunidad Hispana. Aunque seamos inmigrantes, se siente bien que podamos recibir estas oportunidades.”)
Muñoz will be attending Benedictine University and plans to enter the medical field and specialize in sonography. As a high school student, she lead a very rigorous lifestyle managing a strong academic workload, extracurricular and work activities. She was a member of the National Honor Society, track and field, swimming, volleyball and band. When Muñoz asked her mother if her goal in coming to the United States had been met, her mother responded “It was accomplished the moment you thrived in school.”
Elgin Hispanic Network is a nonprofit, 501(c) (3), charitable organization that has been in existence since 1987.
Membership consists of over 80 organizations and nearly 225 individuals that serve the Hispanic community in the Elgin and surrounding area. The network encompasses many sectors of our community from social services, government, health care, education to private businesses and individuals. Its mission is to positively impact the Hispanic community by providing opportunities for the exchange of ideas, information and resources.
More information available at elginhispanicnetwork.org.
These high school scholarships were made possible through the donations and fundraising of Elgin Hispanic Network members and local philanthropic sources.
