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!