Jose Sanchez
UC Berkeley
"My family came from Mexico in 1993 when I was only three. I arrived in the Mission district a shadow of a boy who faded to the background. I learned at a young age that my family had high hopes for me when my mother made me read many English books even though she knew no English herself. There is poverty here and Latinos are not going to college after they graduate and many don't even graduate from high school. Seeing my fellow classmates drop out makes me want to go to college because I want to be successful."
Press Releases
Meritus College Fund Hosts Annual Awards Ceremony
May 18 at Cowell Theatre
San Francisco – May 3, 2010 – Meritus College Fund, a San Francisco-based grassroots nonprofit scholarship organization, is awarding 50 scholarships representing a total of $600,000 that will help fund its newest class of scholars as they prepare to embark on attending their first year in college this fall. The Awards Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, at 6 p.m. at Cowell Theatre at Fort Mason in San Francisco. The scholars, representing 14 San Francisco public high schools, will be formally acknowledged of their selection for a Meritus scholarship with their friends, family and donors present. Union Bank and Morgan Consulting are the event sponsors.
In addition to awarding a $12,000 scholarship to each recipient, Meritus mentors its scholars to help them stay on track and complete college successfully. Meritus believes that this support combined with its assistance to obtain internships and provide post-graduate development for students are important components to achieving their educational goals. Meritus scholars have an 87 percent completion rate.
“Low-income and first-generation students face adverse challenges at all phases of college access through graduation,” says Diana Wolf, executive director of Meritus. “National figures show that nearly one quarter (23 percent) of first-generation students, when compared to 10 percent of their peers with college-educated parents, drop out between their first and second years. As we couple scholarship aid with coaching and mentoring we are giving our scholars a fighting chance at success.”
Graduating high school seniors who receive Meritus awards have demonstrated significant financial need, are typically the first in their families to attend college, and face considerable life challenges associated with immigrant backgrounds, neighborhood violence, and family discord. Scholars must have a grade point average between 3.0 and 3.7 to be eligible for the scholarship. Meritus College Fund has targeted this population in particular because these students are often overlooked for merit-based awards by other institutions, both private and public, and can benefit from the extra vote of confidence this award bestows.
Over the past 14 years, Meritus has raised over $5 million enabling more than 379 San Francisco public high school graduates to attend a four-year college. Each scholarship is made possible by the donations of individuals and organizations who value education, and seek to support these special graduates attain their college aspirations.
Founded in 1996, Meritus College Fund is dedicated to awarding scholarships to college-bound San Francisco public high school seniors whose limited resources play a role in their ability to attend college. Meritus’ scholarships are unique from others because they provide both financial and mentoring support for these fine students while they attend four-year colleges. For more information about Meritus, visit www.meritusfund.org or call 415-400-8650.