Scholarship Recipients

2023 Joy A & Gayland P Smith Influential Teacher Award Winner, David Munoz

I felt on top of the world when they called my name at Roosevelt High School’s Senior Award Banquet. I also couldn’t believe it. I was caught off guard because this is my very first year of teaching. I had an overwhelming feeling of joy and appreciation for my students, the students who voted for […]

Donaldo Barraza, Fresno High School, 2023 award winner of the first Jim Newton Memorial Scholarship

My life changed at 15 years old.  My aunt told me he was no longer with us.  When I was a freshman at Fresno High, my father was deported to Mexico.  My dad was such an inspiration to me first, he was gone physically and a year later, he was gone forever. How much more […]

Samaria Simpson, $10,000 Foundation for Fresno Unified Schools, and Giving Tuesday scholarship winner!

I didn’t know how this was going to happen. I grew up quickly in life! In elementary school, my grandmother and my best friend passed away, and my mom was diagnosed with diabetes. I saw her struggle trying to manage it, which landed her in the hospital. I learned to help her by testing her […]

Keana Hokama, Bullard HS

Marco Suarez, Sunnyside HS

Emily Varela, Roosevelt HS