ScholarMatch is thrilled to introduce scholar Sandra Galvan. Thanks to the generosity of multiple donors from the community, Sandra was successfully able to meet her scholarship goal!

Sandra is a senior at Gateway High School in San Francisco. Her interest and passion lie in her love for writing and service to her community. Sandra sets an incredible example for her peers; her English teacher Rebecca Wieder writes, “She entered high school plagued by uncertainty and fear stemming from childhood events and poverty. But she used her high school years to process these events and emotions, emerging a strong, inspirational figure who talks openly with her peers about her journey.”

Upon hearing that she reached her ScholarMatch goal, Sandra responds, "This donation is an amazing contribution to my educational future. It is pretty much the only money which I have been awarded from anyone and I am extremely grateful. I am very glad that I took the time to build my ScholarMatch profile because someone found me, read about me, and was intrigued — perhaps even inspired — to want to help me satisfy my goals. Thank you so much to my donors. You have donated not only money, but a piece of yourself to me, so I am thankful for that."

Sandra is an accomplished writer, poet and leader. She is the founding member of iSlam Spoken Word club and the Hispanic Latino Association at her high school. Sandra is also a member of the 826 Valencia’s Best American Nonrequired Reading Advisory Board.

Like Sandra, so many other amazing scholars have the potential to accomplish their scholarship goals with the support and generosity of the greater community.

Sandra will attend Sonoma State University this fall where she will study sociology and criminal justice. She hopes to continue giving back to her community by becoming a social worker.

Congratulations Sandra!

The ScholarMatch team is pleased to announce Dorrian Lewis, another one of this month’s incredible scholars whose funding goal has been attained.

This remarkable young woman currently attends Mission High School in San Francisco and will be heading to City College of San Francisco in the fall. A member of her church choir as well as the after-school choir, Dorrian is driven by her love of music. She has utilized this passion and talent as a vehicle for personal transformation and in her battle to overcome adversity.

"Dorrian has exhibited integrity, patience, and passion in my class,"her choir instructor Steven Hankle tells us. "Her passion especially is unmatched. She is always in my room after school to work on a new song to sing in our concerts."

Along with her affection for music, Dorrian has been recognized for her academic achievements and her writing. Dorrian writes poetry and is an active participant in San Francisco Youth Speaks. She is driven to achieve and is headed for success.

After hearing that her scholarship goal had been met, a humble and grateful Dorrian said, "This funding means a lot to me and shows me college is within reach. It gets me a step closer to pursuing a career, affording my education, and expanding my knowledge. This wouldn’t be possible without God providing the giving spirit to donors and blessing me through others."

Thanks to some very generous donors, Dorrian can now pursue this world of knowledge and experience beyond the front steps of high school. Congratulations to Dorrian!

We are extremely proud and pleased to announce that Eddie Ashley III is a recently funded ScholarMatch student! Eddie, a senior at Oakland Technical High School, has inspired all of us at ScholarMatch with his hard work and his exemplary academic record.

In spite of the challenges that Eddie has faced on the road to college — having lost his mother to Lupus in middle school and taking on the responsibility of looking after his younger siblings — Eddie has managed to stay academically focused and maintain an amazingly positive attitude at school. One teacher writes, "I have never encountered a student like Eddie. He has faced and overcome so many obstacles, and I am so proud of his success."

Multiple donors have pitched in to help Eddie attain his ScholarMatch goal. A special thanks to best-selling author Ayelet Waldman for spearheading this effort. This generosity is an amazing example of how the community at large can invest, and be successful, in helping realize a student’s college dream.

Eddie will attend UC Riverside in the fall to pursue his career goal of being an environmental engineer. It means a lot for Eddie to go to college. In his own words, an appreciative Eddie writes:

"This funding means an opportunity to go to college. It is not only benefitting me, but also my community, to whom I will eventually aim my efforts. Now I don’t have to worry about financial stress and can focus on my studies. I want to thank the donors for putting their money and faith in a student like me."

Congratulations Eddie!