Soroptimists announce scholarship winners
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Soroptimist scholarship recipients from left, Hugolina Salazar, Alyssa Perez, Gladys Torres-Carmona, Isabel Rodriguez, Courtney Huber, Isabel Jimenez, Leslie Mendoza and Frida Martinez were honored during a luncheon at Madera United Methodist Church on April 21.
The Soroptimist International of Madera honored eight graduating seniors from Madera South and Madera high schools at its annual scholarship luncheon.
Five seniors from Madera and three from Madera South were honored at the April 21 luncheon at the United Methodist Church.
Courtney Huber
Madera High School
Education has always been important to Courtney. She feels she has created many rewarding relationships with teachers and staff at all schools she has attended. She has maintained a 3.5 GPA despite being very busy with both school and outside of school activities. She has been referred to as a natural born leader and organizer. She has put these skills to use in dance, softball, cheer, Campfire, ABS leadership, and volunteering at John Adams Elementary School, just to name a few.
She has a love of animals and was heading toward a career as a veterinarian. However, a personal obstacle she has overcome has changed her focus. Courtney now plans to study psychology at Fresno State and become a school counselor.
Isabel Jimenez
Madera High School
Isabel has known for a long time that her passion is helping others. Her goal is to become a nurse practitioner in pediatric oncology. This career will combine her goal of helping others and her love of kids. She has taught three- to eight-year-olds ballet, tap, and jazz, in addition to being active in Associated Student Body, California Scholarship Federation and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Other interests have kept her busy as well, but she has maintained a 4.0 GPA through it all.
She is extremely excited to enter a new stage of life, going off to college and pursuing her goals, hopefully at UCLA, where she will major in nursing.
Frida Martinez
Madera High School
Having seen her mother and her mother’s seven siblings all graduate from college made Frida want to pursue higher education. For that reason, she has taken every Honors, AP, and Dual Enrollment class available to her. She is now taking classes at the community college and has maintained a 3.79 GPA. Frida hopes to attend UC Berkley and major in psychology to become a therapist.
She has seen, first-hand, someone she cares about struggle with mental health issues. Because Frida believes that people with mental heath issues can live a functioning and fulfilling life, she has set a goal of becoming a psychotherapist. She hopes to return to the Valley after earning her degree to help her community.
Alyssa Perez
Madera High School
Alyssa would like to become a journalist with photography as a component of this work. She praises her mother for always encouraging her brother and herself to follow their dreams. Her mother is her biggest motivator and Alyssa wants to be like her “when she grows up.” She loves to write and realizes the endless possibilities there are to writing. She has discovered that photography and digital media can go hand in hand with writing and is excited to use both avenues in her career.
Alyssa has been very active in band, Associated Student Body and California Scholarship Federation and has held office in ASB and CFS while maintaining at 3.82 GPA. She hopes to attend UCLA and major in Journalism.
Isabel Rodriguez Ruvalcaba
Madera High School
Isabel says her freshman year was an eye opener for her. She discovered her love for math and took increasingly harder math courses. She hopes to combine her love of math with her love of traveling and major in International Business at San Diego State University. She wants to become a Marketing Manager of Financial Analyst for a worldwide company. Her second goal is to open her own coffee shop in Los Angeles, which would feature coffee and teas from all over the world served in cups collected from places that she visits.
While maintaining a 3.95 GPA and being active in California Scholarship Federation, MAYA Club and Class of 2022, Isabel started a business on Instagram. She uses her love of art and drawing to provide customers with customized shoes and apparel.
Hugolina Salazar
Madera South High School
Hugolina has always seen learning as a way to expose herself to different world views and perspectives. She has maintained a 3.99 GPA while being active in school. She has held leadership positions in Leo Club and Fashion Club, as well as participating in Link Crew. Joining the school’s guitar ensemble has given her the joy of learning to play an instrument and has led to her to learn to play piano and trumpet. Playing these instruments has served as an outlet to express herself. Working for a relative’s event planning business has given her work experience which she sees as a plus for her.
Hugolina has never doubted that higher education was the next step for her. She is still exploring career paths.
Leslie Mendoza
Madera South High School
Leslie has been very active in soccer, both in school and at the club level. She has also been active in California Scholarship Federation, Link Crew and is secretary of Madera South High School’s Associated Student Body organization. She has maintained a 3.97 GPA and received many academic awards. She is a first-generation, college-bound student and credits her grandmother for motivating her to become successful in all that she does.
Leslie would like to attend UC Irvine. She plans on becoming a registered nurse. She wants to use this path to better serve others. She now understands her grandmother’s favorite quote “struggle breeds character” and believes this has seen her through her school years.
Gladys Torres-Carmona
Madera South High School
Gladys found her love for tennis in middle school. This love transferred to her high school years. She played tennis all four years and achieved the number one position on her team as well as Most Valuable Player. While playing tennis and participating in Future Farmers of America, California Scholarship Federation and Interact Club, among other activities, she has maintained a 3.96 GPA.
While she was schooling at home during COVID, she began baking and established a business by selling desserts locally. This helped her realize she wanted to eventually become a CEO or run her own business. Gladys hopes to attend UC Berkley and major in business.
