The strength of a community depends on the quality of its leaders. To support the development of future leaders in Maricopa and Yavapai counties, Credit Union West has awarded five graduating high school seniors $1,000 scholarships to use toward college costs.
The 2019 Credit Union West Scholarship recipients are:
- Andrea Giacini, Sandra Day O’Conner High School
- Samantha Latto, Centennial High School, JROTC
- Sierra McConnell, BASIS Prescott Charter School
- Taylor Kluge, Sunrise Mountain High School
- Zackary Zertuche, Prescott High School, JROTC
The scholarships were awarded based on academic achievement, community service and overall character. Applicants were required to submit an essay on the role that personal finance plays in meeting career goals. Two of the selected recipients are Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) students.
“The cost of higher education is rising, and we want to help local high school graduates take this important step in their personal career and economic development,” said Karen Roch, President and CEO of Credit Union West.
The credit union is working to be part of the solution to rising education costs. Across the United States, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2018–2019 school year was $9,716 for state residents at public college and $35,676 at private colleges, up from the 2017-2018 averages, according to data in an annual survey by U.S. News.1
Roch added, “There were so many impressive candidates this year that I’m confident our future is in capable hands. Congratulations to the deserving 2019 Scholarship recipients!”
This is the sixth year that the credit union has offered scholarships to Maricopa and Yavapai County high school graduates. In their pursuit to help more local graduates continue their education, Credit Union West has provided $22,000 in scholarships since the inception of the program.
1 Source: US News& World Report. https://www.usnews.com/