Pasadena ECHS student earns Gates Scholarship

Pasadena Early College High School student earns full ride to college through Gates Scholarship
Posted on 05/04/2020
This is the image for the news article titled Pasadena Early College High School student earns full ride to college through Gates ScholarshipPasadena Early College H.S. senior Tanya Trujillo is one of only 300 students nationwide selected to receive the prestigious Gates Scholarship award.
Trujillo, a four year AVID student, was selected for the award for her outstanding academic record, leadership skills and for being a well-rounded student. 

As a Gates Scholarship recipient, she will receive a full ride to a college or university of her choosing. Trujillo is planning on attending Texas A&M. 

Applying for the Gates Scholarship award was no easy task, Trujillo recalled. She started the rigorous application process back in September, which required her to show proof of her high academic standing, along with community service hours and a list of extra-curricular activities.  Over the past four years, she has logged well over 1,150 hours that she obtained through Red Bluff Elementary’s Community in Schools (CIS) program. 

“Throughout the application process, my family kept me motivated to continue to do my best in writing the application essays because I knew that in order to go to college I needed money that my family did not have,” Trujillo said.

In December, she was selected as a semifinalist for the TGS scholarship, which required her to submit a 400-word essay and letters of recommendation. 
In March, Trujillo learned that she was a finalist for the scholarship. During the final phase of this journey, Trujillo had to participate in a face-to-face interview; however, with COVID-19 still looming, the interview was conducted via Skype. 

On April 20, 2020, Tanya Trujillo was officially awarded the Gate Scholarship, closing out almost a year’s worth of time and dedication to this application.

Trujillo thanked multiple teachers for their support throughout this process. 
“I know this achievement would not have been possible without the help from a few of my teachers including, Mr. Armando Morales and Ms. Jennifer Davis who helped me fill out the recommendation portion of the application. Mrs. Rumalda Rivera, Mr. Edgar Garcia and Mrs. Karen Guzman, the people at the College Now room at PHS, and Mrs. Elizabeth Avendaño, the CIS coordinator at Red Bluff Elementary where I volunteer at, were all instrumental in making this dream a reality. Thank you.”

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For more information about the Gates Scholarship award, please visit: thegatesscholarchip.org