Trudy Cook-President, Mary Hajjar, Natalie Ortiz, Marilyn Beal the Junior Chair, Tom Bartel and Tyler Castro in front of CMH (Esmeralda Saucedo not shown).
On June 11, five Junior Volunteers received scholarship in the park in front of CMH. Each of the following Junior Volunteers received a scholarship in the amount of $1,500.
Tom Bartel:
Tom volunteered at the front desk as a receptionist and a flyer for four years, with a total of 294.50 hours of service. While maintaining a 3.77 unweighted GPA at Foothill Technology High School, Tom was active in the school’s Bioscience Academy. He received the Platinum Award for Community Service at FTHS and will graduate Summa Cum Laude. In addition to his outstanding years of service, the attributes that make Tom a worthy recipient of the Maria Cavallo Scholarship are his strong work ethic, effective collaboration, and high personal integrity. Tom will be attending UC Santa Barbara in the fall where he will major in biology in pursuit of a career as a physician’s assistant.
Tyler Castro:
Tyler’s time of service, like all our Junior Volunteers, was cut short by Covid-19, but he was able accumulate 179 hours as he worked at the front desk as a receptionist and flyer. Tyler effectively balanced volunteering with academics and sports. He maintained a 3.91 unweighted GPA while playing varsity baseball at St. Bonaventure High School. His awards include four years of First Academic Honors, Bilingual Seal bearer, and Defensive Player of the Year for baseball. Tyler has the unique ability to be both competitive and compassionate, attributes that will serve him well as he pursues a career as an orthopedic surgeon. Tyler will be attending UC San Diego in the fall.
Mary Hajjar:
Mary was a volunteer in the critical care unit at CMH for nearly two years with 221 hours of service. Her strong work ethic is clear as Mary maintained a 3.83 unweighted GPA at Buena High School while volunteering and working. Mary’s volunteer activities extended beyond CMH to include the ALS Association’s Walk to Defeat ALS, Ventura County Story Fest and St. George’s youth organization. Fluent in three languages, Mary is an effective communicator, capable of overcoming challenges, and wears her heart on her sleeve. Ventura College is Mary’s destination for the fall where she will major in biology in preparation for her career as a hematologist.
Esmeralda Saucedo:
Esmeralda began her time as a Junior Volunteer at CMH when she was just a freshman at Foothill Technology High School. She began as a volunteer at the front desk, then, to broaden her experience, she transferred to the emergency department. With both services combined, Esmeralda has served 366 hours. Academics were a priority for Esmeralda which is evident by her 3.79 unweighted GPA, four years in Renaissance, and being awarded AVID Student of the Quarter her senior year. This highly capable, determined, goal-oriented young lady will be the first in her family to attend a university. She has been accepted at Cal Lutheran University where she will be a biology/pre-med major to prepare for her goal of being a general surgeon.
Audrey Woodburn Scholarship Recipient: Awarded $2,000.
Natalie Ortiz:
Natalie volunteered at CMH for three years and has 275 hours of service. She began volunteering in the Maternity A program and after two years, she switched to the emergency department. Natalie excelled academically at Foothill Technology High School earning a 3.75 unweighted GPA. Natalie’s activities included athletics, soccer, cross country, and track and field, along with being on ASB and Senior Council at FTHS. She received the Platinum Volunteer Award, is a Bilingual State Seal bearer, and received the CFS’s Exceptional Achievement award. This vibrant, empathetic, tenacious young lady will begin her journey to becoming a registered nurse at Ventura College in the fall.
