University of Arizona Alumni Chapter to hold scholarship celebration in May
Committee members Lucy Rodriguez and Raquel Isaacson sit down on Sunrise to preview upcoming event
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The YumaCats University of Arizona Alumni Chapter is back at it again to benefit local students and show off their outstanding local support.
On Tuesday, May 3rd, anyone in the community is welcome and encouraged to join the Yuma University of Arizona 2022 Alumni Scholarship Celebration.
A celebration of the great students who will be rewarded for their great work and community presence.
The event comes with food, networking, and a whole lot of fun. UA Alumni Scholarship Committee members Lucy Rodriguez and Raquel Isaacson say it will be better than ever before after a few years off.
"It's going to be fun. And the element of camaraderie," said Vice President Lucy Rodriguez. "A lot of us who did go to the U of A and are in Yuma want to showcase all of the different talent that there is, all of the different professionals we have that are giving back to their community."
University of Arizona Alumni Chapter fundraises locally and has strong support from Yuma donors to be able to assist high school and transfer students with the cost of education through merit-based awards.
Since being part of the Yuma community since 1991, the YumaCats have awarded more than $1.2 million in local scholarships over the years.
And that number is expected to cross the $1.3 million threshold with the awards earned this year--marking over 800 students who have received a scholarship.
"We guarantee scholarships to students who are in the top three rank in their high school classes. We work with students all over Yuma County," said Scholarship Committee Chair Raquel Isaacson. "We also award students who have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and it's important to us that they are also active in the community."
Something the YumaCats strive on is getting the word out to help these students recognize how special they are and the community they're in.
"We get to recognize some of the best and brightest high school students and transfer students who will be getting the U of A Alumni Scholarship awards this year," said Rodriguez. "They get to use that for their education at the U of A. We're just excited to be able to celebrate these students because they really are something special."
And it's something that will always be here for students and other community members to lean on and watch grow each year.
"We really want to show these students that they have a really big U of A community right here back at home," said Isaacson. "We're also excited to recognize our local donors who make this all possible."
The event kicks off at 6pm at the Yuma Civic Center on May 3rd.
Again, there is no cost to attend but pre-registration is needed before the end of the month by emailing yumacats.scholarships@gmail.com.
More information can be found at yumacats.com.
