students | ScholarMatch

Congrats to our first graduate, Pedro Perez

by kent | May 15, 2012

We’re proud to announce that Pedro Perez has graduated from Sonoma State University, making him the first ScholarMatch student to earn his degree!

Pedro had been accepted into our initial open enrollment after being highly involved in programs with 826 Valencia. He’s been active with us since we launched in 2010, representing ScholarMatch in an interview with KFOG and attending our last Trivia Night. When he stopped going to school one year short of graduating, our donor community rallied to support him and get him back into school.

Pedro, a graduate of Mission High School, graduated with a degree in criminology and a minor in sociology. “Since I am a first-generation college student, I now plan to help others that may be in the same situation as the one I was in when I applied for college and sought help to make it through,” Pedro said. We know he’ll do great things in whatever he pursues – congrats, Pedro!

ScholarMatch students accepted to Yale!

by kent | May 10, 2012

It’s an exciting time for all our college-bound high school seniors: They’re making the decision on where they’re going to attend college. Two students’ stories we’re especially proud to share are those of Kim and Gloria “Jack” Mejia-Cuellar, twin sisters who are heading to Yale University on a full ride! They grew up in Oakland, and were involved in the programs at 826 Valencia. The Oakland Tribune wrote up an excellent piece about them. We hope you are moved by their story. By registering as a donor, you’ll be able to read the personal statements of all our amazing students. (Image courtesy Oakland Tribune)

Liz Gilbert shares advice with our students

by kent | May 3, 2012

Thanks to Elizabeth Gilbert, the bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love, for stopping by our offices and sitting down for a chat with students Larissa Martinez and Jorge Lopez. They talked about the students’ plans for the future, and Liz gave them the great advice to “follow your bliss.” The video of the conversation will be up soon, so stay tuned! Liz also shared the ScholarMatch story at two Book Passage events for her brand-new revival cookbook, At Home on the Range, which benefits our work and 826 National. Support ScholarMatch students like Larissa and Jorge by picking up your copy today!

Support students with a book signing on April 28!

by kent | April 27, 2012

Don’t miss an exciting chance to get a book signed by best-selling author Elizabeth Gilbert and raise money for ScholarMatch students! Join us at the Book Passage in San Francisco’s Ferry Building from 1PM – 2PM on Saturday, April 28. Pick up a copy of Gilbert’s new revival cookbook At Home on the Range to have it signed, and because proceeds benefits ScholarMatch, you’ll also be helping underesourced students purse their college dreams. As an extra-special bonus, we’ll be at the Book Passage with a student or two, so you can meet some of the amazing young people whose lives you’ll be changing. See you there, and be sure to sign up for our newsletter for more info about upcoming events and touching student stories!

Tea time with a donor and scholars

by kent | April 12, 2012

Longtime ScholarMatch supporter Mary Williams, representing the Fonda Family Foundation, sat down for tea with two of our scholars, Akash Gurung and Maria Figueroa, and ScholarMatch staffers Vickie Vertiz and Diana Adamson. Both students are soon-to-be-graduating high school seniors interested in pursuing health careers. Akash has wanted to be a doctor ever since his grandma passed away because she could not receive proper medical care, and Maria is interested in providing mental health care to immigrant populations. Mary, who has a background in public health, talked about her journey from community college to Pitzer College, and how she has traveled around the world working to improve international health conditions. Mary was moved by the students’ passion for education, and they were inspired by the scope of her work.

This is the sort of valuable connection we strive to provide through ScholarMatch. If you become a donor, not only do you receive regular updates on the students you’re supporting, but you also could have a chance to sit down with them and hear their stories, just like Mary did. Support one of our talented students today!

Teaming up to offer scholarship workshops

by selina | April 10, 2012

Last week, we teamed up with the Mission Economic Development Agency to offer a workshop on finding and applying for scholarships. We discussed some important tips – ideas like apply early and set up a calendar – and worked with students on crafting their scholarship personal statements. About 20 students attended, and they all applied for a scholarship on the spot. In doing so, they were automatically entered to win an additional scholarship from MEDA. Thanks to MEDA for the opportunity and to Caminos for letting us share their computer lab to host the workshop. If you’re interested in learning more about our financial aid programs, click here or contact us.

ScholarMatch student introduces our founder at award presentation

by kent | March 27, 2012

Bianca Catalan speaks at INFORUM's 21st Century Visionary Award event with Dave Eggers.

Last week, we were lucky enough to be in attendance when ScholarMatch student Bianca Catalan introduced our founder Dave Eggers at INFORUM’s 21st Century Visionary Award event.

Bianca spoke movingly about her experience at 826 Valencia – which was also co-founded by Eggers – where she moved through workshops, participated in the Best American Nonrequired Reading class, and was the recipient of the annual scholarship. She continued on to receive additional scholarship funding from the ScholarMatch donor community and was even featured in a video with The Office actor John Krasinski!

We’re so proud of Bianca and all of our scholars. Meet them here. A big thank you to INFORUM for inviting us to attend, and to everyone who stopped to learn more about us during the reception.

Telling Your Story: A Mini Personal Statement Workshop

by selina | March 9, 2012

One of the most challenging aspects of applying to college is writing a great personal statement. It is easy to get overwhelmed trying to figure out what universities look for and how to write a powerful essay. One of our goals at ScholarMatch is to help students become expert personal statement writers!

On Thursday, March 8th we hosted a workshop at our ScholarMatch office for high school students from the Geneva Carbarn’s creative writing class, taught by Mariama Lockington. Twelve students from different schools participated in exercises led by ScholarMatch staff to help prepare them to write awesome personal statements. In the class, we emphasized that storytelling is an impactful strategy when writing these essays. We provided students with personal statement do’s and don’ts, tips to make their essays stand out, and encouraged their confidence to share their stories. Students left feeling more confident about their abilities to write solid and honest essays. One student said, “I wish I had known about ScholarMatch when I was writing my personal statement. I was having such a hard time, but they way they explained it made it so much easier to understand.”

Do you, or someone you know, need guidance with a personal statement for a scholarship or other academic needs? Call us at (415) 652-2766 to make an appointment in our office at 849 Valencia Street in San Francisco. Be sure to check out our Programs page to find a list of our current workshops.

Announcing FAFSA assistance hours

by kent | January 10, 2012

High school seniors! Now that your college applications are complete, do you need help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid? Read More…

Meeting our new scholars

by kent | December 22, 2011