People’s Trust Foundation awards $15,000 in scholarships
HOUSTON, TX (June 18, 2019) — The People’s Trust Foundation is happy to announce its five scholarship winners for 2019, who were honored at the People’s Trust Federal Credit Union’s 83 rd Annual Meeting of the Membership on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at their headquarters in the up and coming EaDo, or East Downtown, neighborhood.
Four People’s Trust Foundation Scholarships candidates were selected from a pool of seventeen applicants based on their GPAs, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and a 500-word essay explaining who they think the primary responsibility should lie in teaching young adults about financial education and what role People’s Trust plays in educating young adults about finances.
This scholarship is awarded annually and is open to credit union members or their children, who will be graduating high school seniors attending a Texas accredited not for profit college/university or vocational/trade school in the fall.
“Unfortunately, the high cost of a college education can prevent many people from pursuing their dreams of obtaining a college degree. We aim to be a source of hope and offer a form of relief to students despite the economic landscape surrounding higher education today,” states Patrick Flynn, AVP of Marketing for People’s Trust Federal Credit Union & Executive Director of People’s Trust Foundation. The following students each received a $2,500 People’s Trust Foundation Scholarship: Michelle Chen, University of Texas at Austin; Bianca Becho Monte, Texas State University; Andrew Spencer, Texas A&M University; Evan Cook, Texas A&M University.
The foundation awarded the $5,000 Patricia L. Garcia Continuing Education Scholarship to Rachel Bjerkaas, an Environmental Science major at Stephen F. Austin State University. The Garcia Scholarship is for college students with at least 30 credit hours and is in memory of Patricia Longoria Garcia, one of the founders of the People’s Trust Foundation and a past credit union Executive Vice President.
About People’s Trust Foundation
People’s Trust Foundation was established in 2006 to advance financial literacy and economic independence among Houstonians. Since 2008, the Foundation has awarded $139,000 in scholarships dollars. “The foundation’s scholarship program is a testament to the credit union’s philosophy of ‘People Helping People.’ We’re not only committed to seeing our members achieve financial prosperity, but we take great pride in seeing our younger generation achieve success as well,” expressed Angela McCathran, President/CEO of People’s Trust. The foundation also offers financial literacy classes and seminars to residents of all socioeconomic backgrounds in the Greater Houston Area. For more information, please visit www.peoplestrustfoundation.org or call Community Outreach Specialist, Shelly Chinnery at 713.428.3255.
People’s Trust, formerly named Shell Employees Federal Credit Union, is a full-service financial co op. Since 1935, People’s Trust has returned profits to members in the form of higher dividends on savings, lower loan rates and reduced fees. Though based in Houston, People’s Trust serves members across the world. For more information, please visit www.peoplestrustfcu.org .
