Category Archives: Scholarships

$300,000 in Scholarships Awarded to 150 Central Oklahoma Students

Community, Scholarships

The Oklahoma City Community Foundation has selected 150 central Oklahoma high school graduating seniors to receive a $2,000 scholarship through the Foundation’s Community Foundation Scholars program. Fifty-four of the students will be the first in their families to attend college.

The students represent 53 high schools in central Oklahoma that participate in the Community Foundation’s Central Oklahoma Guidance Counselor Network.

Carla Cedillos-Ponce and Oscar Gonzalez stand outside Capitol Hill High School after receiving their Community Foundation Scholars award box.

The Community Foundation Scholars program is one of more than 150 scholarship opportunities at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation that benefit around 800 students with a total of $2 million every year. The program is available to graduating high school seniors who attend one of 53 high schools in central Oklahoma that participate in the Community Foundation’s Central Oklahoma Guidance Counselor Network. The award goes to good students who are active in their communities but who may not be eligible for the most competitive academic scholarships, as well as students who will be the first in their family to attend college. Each recipient will receive a $2,000 award for the 2021-2022 academic year.

“Receiving this scholarship will give me the opportunity to have a better work future,” said Oscar Gonzalez, a Capitol Hill High School senior. “It will give me financial stability for various materials and needs I’ll have on my educational journey, allowing me the peace of mind to focus on my school work.”

Following are the Community Foundation Scholars recipients for the 2021-22 academic year:

ASTEC Charter School: Kimberly Alvarez, Jhojary Galvez-Lopez, Keirin Lopez, Angelica Rodriguez Vega, Brisa Rosas, Nancy Sierra

Bethany High School: Juan Gonzalez, Margarita Rojas-Lopez

Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School: Catherine Price

Capitol Hill High School: Carla Cedillos-Ponce, Oscar Gonzalez

Carl Albert High School: Ezra Gustafson, Alexis Williams

Casady School: Christian Powell

Choctaw High School: Makynna Gentry, Brianna Jolly, Gabriel Lopez, Raina Patterson

Christian Heritage Academy: Elyse McAllister

Classen School of Advanced Studies: Lauren Glover, Keyonte Hammon, Marcus Harris, Lan Nguyen, Guillermo Safores

Community Christian School: Hayden Horn

Crooked Oak High School: Jesus Solis

Crossings Christian School: Michael Haley

Deer Creek High School: Reed Eden, Kyla Hofstee, Shelby Johnson, Kimberlyn Russell

Del City High School: Tyzai Burris, Katlyn Ward

Douglass High School: Emely Cervantes-Basabe, Donye McDonald

Dove Science Academy OKC: Maria Ceniceros, Wendy Charqueno, Aldo Garcia, Jared Rubio

Edmond Memorial High School: Gavin Chenier, Austin Null, Rachel Weathers, Bryce Williams

Edmond North High School: Jeffery Biswas, Guilherme Esteves, Bennett Ferrell, Natalie Middlebrook

Edmond Santa Fe High School: Meredith Austin, Kara George, Daylen Gipson, Ricardo Gutierrez

El Reno High School: Madison Craig, Emma Gilliland, Erick Loera

Emerson North High School: Breona Spencer

Emerson South High School: Karlee Tevis

Guthrie High School: Bella Chavez, Anaiah Pfeiffer

Harding Charter Preparatory School: Eric Franco, Yoselin Herrera, Kylie Kanclerowicz, Jazmin Ponce, Jasmine Rivas, Fernando Rojas Jr., Cydne Swanson, Yvette Tavarez,

Harding Fine Arts Academy: Andrea Sandoval, Melanie Toledo, Maria Vazquez, Nicole Wangugi

Harrah High School: Britney Oehler

Heritage Hall: Jackson Pellow

John Marshall High School: Malik Edd, Lailah Meeks

Jones High School: Omar Hernandez, Peggy Lail

Luther High School: Evan Hughes, William Northcutt

Midwest City High School: Lainee DeLise, Landon Thomas

Millwood High School: Nevaeh Golson, Desmond Green, Ja’Varia Proctor

Moore High School: Ramona Cox-Moscatello, Ellie Neidel, Kelly Rojo Reyes, Nicholas Shumate

Mount St. Mary High School: Drew Faires, Myrka Gomez, Edgar Morales

Mustang High School: Jake Campbell, Natalie Hill, Kelsey Newlun

Norman High School: Jacob Chapmond, Trinity Starr,Sahil Tamboli

Norman North High School: Abby Schultz, Anna Schulz, Harlee Worthy,

Northwest Classen High School: Mario Chavez, Jessica Lopez, Jangston Nguyen

Oklahoma Christian Academy: Olivia Rogers

Oklahoma Christian School: Dylan Scott

Oklahoma School of Science & Mathematics: Xinyan Jiang, Ashley Mathew

Piedmont High School: Sahray Esquivel, Kevin Nguyen, Connor Porter, Jocelyn Quinones, Gabriel Rhone-Dunn

Putnam City High School: Richard Chuong, Cassandra Cynova, Kavonne Granger, Ashley Perez, Trakel Pinkston, Lizett Velasco

Putnam City North High School: Olivia Gearhart, Eryonna Knox, Kimora Littleton, Lola Massad, Sharon Santos Burton, Alexandria Wimp

Putnam City West High School: Shelby Escobar, Hannah Hester, Alfredo Montoya

Santa Fe South High School: Magaly Franco, Mia Frayre, Gustavo Gonzalez, Joanna Morales-Toledo, Zulema Orquiz, Arelly Ortiz Rojo

Southeast High School: Vanessa Franco,Gerardo Guerrero

Southmoore High School: Keaira Bowens, Dakota Hutchison, Mark Mosher, Joel Woodland

Star Spencer High School: Jenifer Carrillo

U.S. Grant High School: Francisco Meza, Rosaura Reyes, Angela Salinas-Vargas

Western Heights High School: Christyan Barnett, Dalyla Bullard, Star Langkeit

Westmoore High School: Cecilia Alali, Leslie Pham

Yukon High School: Caleb  Ankrom, Kenna Mock, Caleb Pendleton

Time to Apply

Community, Scholarships

OCCF to Award $2.5 Million in College Scholarships

 If you have participated in little league, junior high or high school football, there might be a college scholarship waiting for you. If you are a band student, from a single-parent home, a swimmer or the first in your family to attend college, there could be scholarships for you too.

The Oklahoma City Community Foundation has scholarships for classical literature majors and Spanish majors, architecture majors, engineering majors and many more. In fact, the Community Foundation awards millions of dollars in scholarships to hundreds of Oklahoma students each year.

“We have the largest privately funded scholarship program in the state,” said Nancy B. Anthony, president of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. “This spring, we will grant $2.5 million in scholarships to about 800 high school seniors who will attend colleges and universities across the state and around the country this fall.”

There are 200 scholarship opportunities available at occf.academicworks.com and the free application process is open now. Deadlines vary, depending on the scholarship and the first will be Feb. 1 with subsequent deadlines extending into the spring.

Established by many different benefactors, the scholarships target a variety of students with an array of social, geographical, and academic backgrounds. Not all the scholarships require the highest level of academic achievement. A GPA around 3.0 is good enough in many cases as long as students show they are well rounded and work hard.

Not every OCCF scholarship a high school senior might see is a perfect fit, but if they keep looking, they are likely to find one or two that were made just for them. The online application system even helps filter scholarships with criteria that matches the student. Some scholarships are worth $1,000 while many are worth $2,000, and they can range as high as $10,000 and $20,000. Last year, the average scholarship award was $3,100 per student.

“Last year was difficult for all of us,” Anthony said. “The coronavirus has discouraged college attendance across the country, but we all have hope for a better 2021 and, thanks to our many contributors, these scholarships will help students to move past the pandemic and get back to pursuing their dreams.”   

 Applications will be evaluated this spring and most scholarship winners will be notified by June.