Two Morongo scholarships go to La Jolla members – Valley Roadrunner
Hometown Newspaper of Valley Center, Pauma Valley, Pala, Palomar Mountain & North Escondido since 1974
The annual Rodney T. Mathews Jr. Scholarship has awarded $670,000 to Native American students across California. This year $40,000 were awarded in the state, including $10,000 each to a member of the La Jolla tribe, Mary Pojas and Nusun Pojas, also a La Jolla member.
The scholarships are from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians through the Tribe’s 20th Annual Rodney T. Mathews Jr. Scholarship Program.
Since its launch, Morongo’s Mathews Scholarship Program has provided $670,000 in scholarships to 66 Native American students attending universities across the country.
One local recipient of the 2025 Mathews Scholarship Program is Mary Pojas, an enrolled member of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, who lives on the La Jolla Indian Reservation in Pauma Valley and is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in American Indian Studies at San Diego State University.
Her future goals include working in tribal law and serving on her tribal council. She currently serves on her tribe’s Youth Council, where she helps organize events for elders and youth. Pojas also participates in cultural exchange programs, traveling across the country and abroad to share her tribe’s traditions.
“This scholarship opportunity means so much to me,” Mary Pojas told The Roadrunner. “My entire family is pursuing college degrees, and this support gives me access to more resources and helps lighten the load. I’m so thankful to the Morongo Band for believing in students like me.”
The other local recipient, Nusun Pojas, also a member of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, lives in Valley Center and will attend San Diego State University this fall to major in American Indian Studies with a focus on business and marketing. She plans to return to her community to help develop accessible health services for the tribe. Nusun has been actively involved in intertribal sports, first as a participant, and now as an aide and serves on the Youth Council.
“This means so much to me,” Nunsun Pojas said. “Coming from a family of six siblings and as a first-generation college student, I want to set an example and build a better future for my community. This scholarship is helping make that a reality.”
The Morongo scholarship program honors the late Rodney T. Mathews Jr., a Morongo tribal member and Hastings Law School graduate who passed away in 2004. He worked as an attorney for 20 years in Banning and served as a judge pro tem for more than a decade.
Scholarship applicants are considered based on their academic success and community service. Candidates must be full-time students at an accredited college or university; complete 60 hours with a designated California Indian agency; and be actively involved in the Native American community.
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