Home for the Holidays Pt. 4

The stockings are up and the tree is lit! Most of our scholarship recipients are now enjoying their holiday break and we want to present our last update for our Home for the Holidays special. This week we meet with seasoned students and see how their journeys are coming to an end and a new one is beginning.
AMY YANAWAY 

Amy is a recipient of the Jimmy Elizabeth Harper and Ethel Harper Scholarship Fund. She is a music theory major and just completed her senior fall semester. “My semester has been very tough since this is my senior year and all my classes are advanced,” she said.

Her last weeks were filled with a harmonic analysis project of a major Chopin piano prelude, an arrangement to write for chamber orchestra, an oral interview in her Advanced French Conversation class, and finals. 

Amy says that with 17 hours of school and working part-time, her semester has been difficult. However, she is looking forward to her final spring semester because she will only be taking 12 hours.

 She is in the process of graduate school applications and is proud to say that she will be beginning her master’s in Music Theory in fall 2012.

 “I have so much for which I am thankful, especially the generous donors from the San Antonio Area Foundation who have helped fund my education,” Amy said.

JULIAN HONG

Julian is finishing his second year of medical school. He is the recipient of the George Wray Memorial Scholarship Fund. “I’m fortunate to be working on several projects with physicians at UW, Stanford, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering,” he said.

His research is focused on the physics and clinical outcomes of delivering radiation to treat various cancers. Julian is also a class representative in his Medical Student Association, which is similar to a student council.

 In the Medical Student Association, representatives have a range of roles from contributing to curriculum, coordinating service activities, and organizing events for our fellow students. 

When asked how his scholarship helped him Julian said “My scholarship has been remarkably generous – it’s supported me through my undergraduate, and master’s degrees and now medical school.  By the time I’m out of school, it will have significantly reduced my debt.”

 Julian will be heading home to California for Christmas and if he can get tickets, attend the Fiesta Bowl to cheer on Stanford. He will also be completing research projects at Stanford and Memorial Sloan-Kettering before starting his next semester.

GABRIELLA CORALES 

Gabriella is a recipient of the Victor J. Ferrari Memorial Scholarship and will be entering her final semester at Texas State University this spring.

 “My sincerest thanks and appreciation goes out the Ferrari family and their generous financial contribution to my undergraduate education,” Gabriella exclaimed. 

This scholarship has helped her with tuition and room and board, and Gabriella is happy to report that she will graduate with little debt.

Over her holiday break, Gabriella will be working on graduate school applications. She plans to get a master’s in Education.

“I look forward to being cultivated as an educator and becoming a leader in the education field as well as making a difference in my students’ lives,” she said.

Congratulations to all of our students! Enjoy the rest of your holiday break and good luck with your spring semester!

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To learn more about our scholarships visit www.saafdn.org