Bay Federal Credit Union awards $7,500 in scholarships to local students
CAPITOLA, CA (May 7, 2020) — Bay Federal Credit Union has announced the winners of its 2020 Education Scholarship and 2020 Mac McCormac Employee Scholarship programs.
Education Scholarship awards of $1,500 each were awarded to Alexis Escarcega, Marya Noble, and Eduardo Serrano. Mac McCormac Employee Scholarship awards of $1,000 each went to Camila Martinez, Micaela DiPiero, and Raelene Rodriguez.
Applicants were required to submit recent school transcripts, letters of recommendation from teachers, professors, or community members, an explanation of what they have done to prepare themselves for success in their future education goals, and an essay describing the negative consequences of a spending habit. A panel of Bay Federal Credit Union employees carefully reviewed scholarship materials of more than 30 applicants.
Bay Federal President and CEO Carrie Birkhofer praised all scholarship applicants.
“These students so clearly demonstrated their commitment to their education goals,” said Birkhofer. “My hope is that each one of them will continue to thrive and make a real difference in our world.”
Since 2008, Bay Federal has awarded 64 scholarships totalling $52,500 to students who are pursuing higher education goals. The Mac McCormac Employee Scholarship is named after credit union’s first employee.
Who are the Education Scholarship winners?
- Alexis Escarcega is majoring Spanish/Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino atudies with a minor in math at Gettysburg College. Escarcega’s goal is to improve education experiences for minority students as a high school teacher.
- Marya Noble is a nursing student at Evergreen Valley College. After completing the nursing program, Noble plans to study for another two years at San Jose State University and become a registered nurse.
- Eduardo Serrano is a third-year history major at San Jose State University. Serrano intends to earn a bachelor’s degree, and then continue on to graduate school with the goal of becoming a college professor.
Who are the Mac McCormac Scholarship winners?
- Micaela DiPiero, an employee at Bay Federal’s Scotts Valley branch, will attend Ashford University this fall. DiPiero plans to major in psychology and minor in communications, and intends to become a high school counselor to support students’ educational goals.
- Camila Martinez, an employee at the River Street branch, is studying business administration at Cabrillo College. Martinez will transfer to San Jose State to pursue a bachelor’s degree this fall, and plans to continue working with Bay Federal after graduation.
- Raelene Rodriguez, an employee at the Watsonville branch, is studying collaborate health and human services with a concentration in public administration at California State University, Monterey Bay. Rodriguez hopes to work in the Human Resources field, preferably for the County of Santa Cruz.
Alexis Escarcega
Eduardo Serrano
Employee Camila Martinez
Employee Micaela DiPiero
Employee Raelene Rodriguez
Marya Noble
About Bay Federal Credit Union
Bay Federal Credit Union is a full-service, not-for-profit financial institution that serves over 86,000 members and 2,400 local businesses throughout Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey counties. With more than $1.6 billion in assets, Bay Federal is the largest member-owned financial institution in the region. The organization has been proudly serving its members and the community since 1957. Bay Federal is a certified Community Development Financial Institution, with a primary mission of promoting community development alongside their financial activities. Bay Federal has an award-winning employee volunteer program in which employees have given their own money and volunteer for numerous local schools, nonprofit organizations, and community events each year.
