EDUCATION & SCHOOLS
Apr 28, 2025, 6:09 PM | Updated: 6:44 pm
BY
KSLTV.com
SALT LAKE CITY — Four years ago, the Utah Jazz surprised 114 high school students with a scholarship program after the basketball team won 114 games during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons.
In 2023, players surprised students with the scholarships that covered tuition, room and board, and all other expenses.
The Utah Jazz drew up a winning game plan for these scholars. Not only are they graduating college debt-free, but they’ve also become elite learners who are reaching their academic goals and dreams.
Sergio Vasquez said it’s a FaceTime call that he will never forget, as then-Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert surprised him with the news.
“You’ve been selected for the scholarship,” Gobert told Vasquez in the video call from 2023.
“That’s amazing news,” Vasquez responded.
Vasquez, who went to Bryce Valley High School in Tropic, Utah, was stunned when he learned that the Utah Jazz awarded him a full-ride scholarship to an in-state college.
“It was a surreal moment,” Vasquez told KSL TV.
This set his dreams in motion to attend the University of Utah without a financial burden.
“It was a blessing. I don’t come from a very wealthy family by any means,” he said.
The scholarship allowed Vasquez to focus on his academics and internships.
“My main goal was to go to law school one day, so when I went to college, I declared as a political science major,” Vasquez said. “All my internships have been amazing from Entrata, Intermountain to Snow and Wilmer.”
He graduates in May with gratitude to the Utah Jazz and his parents.
“They were ecstatic when they found out about the scholarship thing, it’s a whole family thing. It doesn’t affect just me, it affects all of us,” Vasquez said.
The scholarship had a similar effect on Jazz scholar, Lovell Khemchand. The U of U nursing student traveled to West Africa in 2024 to do charity work at schools, churches and hospitals.
“To know that I was the answer to someone’s prayer that was really life-changing to see them feel like there’s hope,” Khemchand said.
The scholarship opened doors and motivated her to move forward.
“I did an internship with Spanish Fork Intermountain, and the experience was amazing. I wouldn’t have a lot of the things I have now, so I feel so blessed and I am so thankful for them,” Khemchand said, who graduates next year.
Both scholars were thankful for the college experience and offered this advice.
“Time management is something that I think we overlook when we’re entering college,” Khemchand said. “We just think I need to get good grades I need to do well.”
Vasquez’s advice to college freshmen is to be prepared on day one.
“Stay calm, stay the course and try to outwork everybody you know,” he said
To this day, all 114 students continue to receive ongoing support from the Smith Entertainment Group and the Utah Jazz, including internships and mentorships.
Tamara Vaifanua and Michael Houck, KSL TTV
Four years ago, the Utah Jazz surprised 114 high school students with a scholarship program, and KSL TV caught up with two of them to see their progress.
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