Congratulations to the GCSA's first scholarship recipients, Mayra Jaimes and Rachel Hochstetler!

Rachel Hochstetler

Valley Center, California

Rachel comes to the Hilltop from Valley Center, California where she graduated at the top of her high school class. As a member of her local 4-H Club, Rachel founded a community service group dedicated to teaching English as a second language to migrant adult workers. “I recruited teen volunteers, planned curriculum and taught in Spanish… [we] needed texts and there was no money to buy them. I wrote a grant proposal and was awarded two state grants…to buy books for the classes.” Like in her hometown community, Rachel continues to give back to her new Georgetown community. At Georgetown, Rachel is involved in YLEAD (Young Leaders Educating About Diversity), the ASK (After School Kids) program, and Best Buddies, where she volunteers as a tutor for individuals with Down’s syndrome.

Mayra Jaimes

Chicago, Illinois

Mayra comes to Georgetown from the Southside of Chicago. While in high school, Mayra was highly involved in various leadership activities. Mayra has extensive experience in the professional world, having worked for the law firm Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon, the CNA Insurance Company and Mesirow Financial, all in Chicago. Mayra is in the School of Nursing and Health Studies and intends to major in nursing. Although Mayra hasn’t even finished her first semester, she is already looking to give back after she graduates from Georgetown: “I plan to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing… As a nurse, I want to dedicate my time to a clinic that works to heal Latino immigrant women affected by trauma...domestic violence, economic instability, sexual assault, and emotional instability…”

Drumroll Please... And the Fall 2009 Scholarship Recipients Are...

The Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association is proud to announce the recipients of the fall 2009 Comunidad Scholarship are Mayra Jaimes of Chicago, Illinois and Rachel Hochstetler of Valley Center, California! Both are members of Georgetown University’s Class of 2013. Bios and pictures of our first scholarship recipients will be posted soon.

We would like to thank the many applicants who submitted applications for the inaugural scholarship. This was an impressive group of candidates. We would also like to take a moment to thank the volunteer alumni who reviewed the submitted scholarship applications and conducted interviews with the finalists. The following are the members of the GCSA Scholarship Selection Committee:

Joseph Saucedo, 2000

Juan Venegas, 2001

Jennifer Hernandez, 2002

Christian Lozano, 2003

JR Ramirez, 2004

Vicente Garcia, 2005

Octavio Gonzalez, 2006

Tanya Olmos, 2007

Jason Resendez, 2008

To these alumni, thank you for your contribution, your time and your commitment to the Georgetown comunidad! A special word of thanks goes to Irma Perez and the GCSA Board for organizing the fall 2009 application materials and for organizing the logistics of selecting, interviewing and notifying scholarship recipients. Finally, thank you to all the donors that have made this initiative possible. ¡GRACIAS!

I almost forgot that I could actually slow down and enjoy this part - reading scholarship applications!

With all the planning that went into this scholarship initiative, I almost forgot that I could actually slow down and enjoy this part - reading scholarship applications. As expected, all applicants come to us with rich experiences and a hunger for education. It's going to be difficult for the Selection Committee to make its decision, however it's important that GCSA has made it to this point. Alumni are giving back and current freshmen Hoyas have a scholarship opportunity that was unexpected, but nonetheless welcome. The scholarship is GCSA's ultimate product, so I have to send out a special ¡gracias! to the members of the Selection Committee making it possible. They've all been generous with their time and are integral to the pioneering of this effort.

Irma Perez (COL '04)
Selection Commitee Chair

The Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association is growing!

We are pleased to announce that we will be awarding two scholarships during the fall 2009 semester and two during the spring 2010 semester! We will be announcing the recipients of the fall 2009 scholarship on October 19 and the GCSA will be accepting applications again from the Georgetown University Class of 2013 this coming spring semester! Undergraduates: Stay tuned for more information on where/when you can obtain scholarship application materials!

I’d like to take a moment to thank the many alumni (and friends of alumni!) who have made contributions to get this initiative off the ground! The show of support has been tremendous and there have been many alumni who have contacted us offering to help perpetuate this initiative. A great big ¡GRACIAS! to all alumni who have contributed and support this initiative!

Scholarship Materials Are Being Reviewed...

Earlier this week was the application deadline for the inaugural GCSA scholarship. We’ve received several applications from the Georgetown Class of 2013 and a committee of volunteer alumni has already begun to review the submitted materials. The GCSA will be announcing the recipients of the inaugural GCSA scholarship on Monday, October 19, so stay tuned!

A Word of Gratitude

I continue to be amazed (but not surprised) at the generosity of the many Georgetown alumni who have stepped forward to contribute to this initiative. Many have emailed us extending their good wishes and their support. Some have emailed offering us their professional skills. Many are content to show their support through a generous donation. To all those who are supporting this initiative, I say to you: ¡GRACIAS!

If you haven’t donated yet, do not worry. There is plenty of time to get your donation in. Just click on the “Donate” button on the top right hand corner of this page. Donating is fast, easy and very secure. We are hoping to have all donations in by October 19, so consider making a donation today.

I’d like to take a moment to highlight the fundraising efforts of some outstanding alumni who have been real leaders in this project. Vicente Garcia (COL ’05) is currently the executive director of a nonprofit, interfaith organization based in D.C. called 9/11 Unity Walk. Vicente has gone above and beyond and has really been working hard to encourage members of the Class of 2005 to donate. As the GCSA’s Local Chair, Vicente also took charge of disseminating the application materials to a diverse (and long) list of undergraduate organizations. Vicente reached out to student leaders who were eager to hear that alumni are thinking of them and supporting their aspirations.

Irma Perez (COL ’04) is a very busy second-year law student at U.C. Hastings but has made time to chair the GCSA’s Selection Committee. In the middle of interviews for summer associates positions, a full load of classes and a job on the side, Irma put together the scholarship application materials, recruited alumni donors to volunteer their time on the selection committee all-the-while rocking out to Jenni Rivera and Aventura. If you’re a member of the Class of 2004, and Irma hasn’t contacted you, just wait, because she will. Keep the credit card handy.

Last, but certainly not least, is Juan Venegas (SFS ’01). Juan is a busy man working for Booz Allen Hamilton and is a proud Hoya. Juan has found time in his busy schedule to help this initiative grow and to take charge of the association’s finances. Juan is the Finance Chair of this endeavor. He’s brought on board many alumni who are eager to be involved in any way they can.

I also want to highlight the efforts of two alumni who have gone above-and-beyond the call of duty and have really rallied alumni behind this initiative: Luis Torres (COL ’05) and Jason Resendez (COL ’08).

Thank you to this awesome team of Hoyas for doing the legwork to get this initiative organized and off the ground! Again, thank you to all of the Hoyas who have donated!

Octavio Gonzalez (COL'06)

It's Homecoming Weekend on the Hilltop...

When I was a college counselor, I worked with many first-generation college goers who arrived on campuses all over the U.S. and were met with costly and unanticipated living expenses that come standard with pursuing a higher education. This experience was true of the students I worked with who are now at Georgetown and it was true of my own experience on the Hilltop. The Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship is a way of addressing this need by partnering alumni who have an interest in investing in the higher education of students, with first-year Hoyas with financial need who can use their support.

This is the inaugural year for the Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association and we have received a lot of positive support and feedback from alumni. Many have offered advice and many have already made their contribution. If you haven’t donated, please consider clicking on the PayPal link on this page to make your donation today. Even small donations go a long way towards meeting our goal of disbursing the first scholarship this fall. When we announce the recipient of this scholarship in October, we hope that we can share with the undergraduates a long list of alumni that are standing behind them as they pursue their higher education at Georgetown University. Donating is fast, easy and very secure. I hope I can count on your support today.

To donate, click on the button on the top, right corner of this page.

Hoya Saxa!

Octavio Gonzalez (COL ’06)

Answers to some questions from students...

Over the last couple of days, we've received emails with questions from alumni and undergraduate students alike. Here's one question from a student who just transferred to Georgetown:

"I am a recent transfer student to Georgetown University... This is my first year at the Hilltop and i am under tremendous financial pressures to finance my living expenses here at Georgetown... After reading the description of the scholarship, i think that i could be a a competitive candidate and certainly would like to be part of such a program, but i am not sure whether the scholarship is also open to transfer students. Could you please clarify this for me? Thank you."

As it stands, the Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association is only accepting applications from members of the Class of 2013 (the freshman class). We hope that with the generous support from alumni, we can grow this program and open the eligibility requirements to other classes. The need is great, but we can't do it without the help of generous alumni and friends.

The mission of this group is to make scholarship money easily accessible to eligible and deserving students. Many scholarship programs begin accepting applications during the first half of the calendar year and typically disburse funds right before or right after the academic year begins in August. Students who come to campus (and first year students in particular) sometimes don't/can't anticipate well the real costs of financing their higher education. There are supplies to be purchased, books to buy, activities fees to pay to say nothing of the day-to-day expenses that come from devoting yourself to your studies (trips to Wisey's between class can be expensive!). Students' options are limited to requesting more loan money, putting expenses on a credit card (if they have one) or maybe taking a second job in addition to their Federal Work Study job. By accepting applications in the fall and disbursing scholarships during the first semester, the Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association can make scholarship funds accessible to deserving students. We are only limited by the amount of money we raise, so open up those wallets! Click on the link on the top right of this page to make your donation today! We will be fundraising right up until we disburse the first scholarship on October 19, 2009!

Fall 2009 Scholarship Information

The GCSA Board has released scholarship materials for eligible undergraduate students at Georgetown University! The mission of the GCSA is to support the undergraduate education of students by making scholarship money accessible to freshmen students at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Scholarship applications can be requested by emailing georgetown.comunidad@gmail.com. Remember that all scholarship materials must be emailed in to georgetown.comunidad@gmail.com by October 5, 2009 at 9:00PM ET. Good luck to all applicants! We're looking forward to reading your applications!

Welcome to the GCSA!

Welcome to the Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association's online arm! We hope to make available information about the Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association to prospective donors and undergraduate students looking to apply for the fall 2009 award. Stay tuned for more details!