Thursday, November 24, 2011

We are thankful for…

http://prek-8.com/holiday/thanksgiving/images/corn1.jpg

…our Selection Committee!


This semester the GCSA had another awesome Selection Committee at work reading scholarship applications and interviewing applicants. Our Selection Committee is charged with the difficult decision of selecting four scholarship recipients from numerous deserving applicants. These are committed alumni donors to the GCSA who volunteer their time to read applications, conduct interviews and come together to determine every semester’s scholarship recipients. As expected, the Selection Committee excelled at their task by thoroughly and thoughtfully reviewing every submission. Muchas gracias to the following Hoyas for sharing their precious time with us this semester (and next!):

  • Berenice De La Parra ('98)
  • Joe Saucedo ('00)
  • Gloria Gasca ('03)
  • Yadira Vieyra ('11)
  • Indra Sen ('08)
  • Nadia Marquez ('09)
  • Arturo Preciado ('02)
  • John Azpeitia ('99)

Friday, October 14, 2011

Cash for College!

If you feel strongly about serving your community and can use extra funds to offset the cost of being on the Hilltop, then apply for the Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association's scholarship by Sunday, OCTOBER 16. Allow Georgetown alumni to acknowledge your contributions beyond the classroom and become part of a growing base of Hoya scholars who continue to serve others. Email georgetown.comunidad@gmail.com for a copy of the application or for more information.

Friday, August 12, 2011

It’s been so long since last we met…time for Reunión y Despedida!





The GCSA is proud and excited to host the second annual Reunión y Despedida in Los Angeles on Saturday, August 20! Reunión y Despedida is an event geared towards bringing many of Georgetown's diverse comunidad members together. For alumni, this is an opportunity to reunite with old friends. For undergraduates, this is one last hoorah before the start of the fall semester. For incoming members of the Class of 2015, this is a chance for you and your family to meet other members of your class and for your parents/guardians to become acquainted with a diverse and dynamic Georgetown community. Those attending – incoming Hoyas, current undergraduates, alums, friends and family – are, were, and will be the support that makes an endeavor like Georgetown possible.

So what can you expect at Reunión y Despedida? Delicious food is one draw. This event is casual and will be in the backyard of Georgetown alumnus Alex Chacon's home in Los Angeles. Alumni are providing great, home-cooked food (vegetarian and otherwise) and we will have plenty of beverages on hand. And although we lure you in with delicious food, our objective is to connect and reconnect you to the Georgetown comunidad.

If you’re an incoming Hoya or current undergraduate, please RSVP to georgetown.comunidad@gmail.com with your name and the name(s) of your guest(s).

Alums: Your support makes this event possible. RSVP by make a small donation to the GCSA. We suggest $25.00, but any donation is welcome and no alumnus/a will be turned away for not donating. To make a donation, use the PayPal "Donate" button at the upper right hand corner of our blog homepage. Once you make the donation, email georgetown.comunidad@gmail.com to confirm your RSVP.

Finally: We hope any parents of students and alumni can attend! This is a family friendly event and parents are encouraged to attend and meet other Hoya parents from the neighborhood!


Saturday, May 21, 2011

¡Felicidades Class of 2011!


It’s right around Commencement Weekend that I get nostalgic for Georgetown. Commencement weekend is a clash of feelings and a meeting of worlds: parents and siblings coming from out of town and, maybe for the first time, seeing the world you lived in for the last four years. And with family in town, you suddenly find your attention being split in multiple directions: Commencement Weekend events, celebrations with family who’ve traveled long distances to share in this joy with you, and an effort to squeeze last moments of quality time with friends whom you may not see for some time to come. It’s rough but beautiful at the same time. To the Class of 2011, on behalf of the Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association, we say felicidades and congratulations to you and your families! It’s been a long journey but you’ve made it. You are graduating and you are leaving Georgetown a much better place than when you found it. As you join us alumni in the world of Hoya Heaven (as Dr. Dan Porterfield likes to put it), know that there is a comunidad of incredible Hoyas ready and waiting for you. And one way to keep your connection back to Georgetown is through the Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association. Stay tuned for get-togethers, mentorship opportunities and opportunities to make your contribution to the GCSA.

I’d like to take a moment to highlight one of the GCSA Scholars who is graduating this year. Brenda Garcia('11) has made significant contributions to the Georgetown Community in her four years on the Hilltop. She is a bright and energetic leader who is giving back to the comunidad as a teacher through Teach For America. Brenda’s path at Georgetown was preceded by another inspiring Hoya, Sarah Audelo ('06), who taught Brenda when Sarah was a TFA teacher in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. A huge congratulations to the GU Class of 2011 and to our graduating GCSA Scholar, Brenda Garcia!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

College costs are more than tuition, room and board...


Recently, fellow board member Vicente Garcia (COL ’05) passed along a Wall Street Journal article detailing the college student’s dilemma: the cost of attendance estimated by the financial aid office doesn’t meet certain and sometimes unexpected college expenses.

Reflecting on this, I realized that my experience at Georgetown was similar. Some of the following scenarios may sound familiar to you:

  • Are you from Southern California, the land where a winter coat is a light Dickies jacket? Suddenly, that decision to go to school on the east coast means investing in a thicker (more expensive) coat. Time for a peacoat.
  • When on campus, did you decide to take that awesome Latin American history class, but then realized that the required list of books numbered past a dozen? Suddenly, that intellectually stimulating class means being saddled with a large bill made payable to the university bookstore. Time to look for a part-time job.
  • Did your family’s income decrease unexpectedly due to job loss or work hours reduction, but your expected family contribution on your award letter wasn't met with a proportional reduction? Now what?


As an alumna, I remember the struggle to make ends meet; this is precisely why the Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association is so important. We know there are more expenses to a college education than tuition, room and board.


If you’re an undergraduate student at Georgetown, I can say to you: you are not alone because we are here for you. “We” are a comunidad of alumni ready to pitch in because we know how hard you and your loved ones worked to get where you are. The GCSA’s scholarship cycle occurs twice during the academic year: fall and spring semesters. To be eligible, you must be a full time undergraduate student in any college at Georgetown University and not have been a past recipient of this scholarship. We award four $500 scholarships each semester.


If you’re an alumnus or alumna of Georgetown, I invite you to consider supporting the work of the GCSA or matching or exceeding your previous contribution to this worthy cause. With the support of friends like you, we can ensure that current and future Hoyas aren’t unnecessarily impeded with unexpected college costs.


Click on the PayPal link on the upper right-hand corner to make your contribution today or send a check payable to Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association to GCSA, P.O. Box 3531, Redwood City, CA 94064.


Sunday, April 3, 2011

Felicidades Mariana, Yvonna, Christine and Marta!

Congratulations once again to Mariana Hernandez, Yvonna Wade, Christine Nguyen and Marta Aparicio for being selected as part of this semester's scholarship recipients! We're proud to have them on the Hilltop! Below are biographies and photos of our recipients.

Mariana Hernandez (COL ’14) is in the Georgetown College and plans to major in Mathematics and minor in Science, Technology, and International Affairs within the Walsh School of Foreign Service. Mariana is involved in several activities at Georgetown, including the Georgetown Meyers Institute for College Preparation and the Living Learning Community of Justice, Diversity and Action. She is also a founding member of Hermanas Unidas de Georgetown, a student organization that focuses on building healthy relationships among the Latino women and men on campus, as well as advocating for issues, such as immigration, civil rights, and the importance of being bi-cultural. Recently, Mariana was selected for membership in the Carroll Fellow Initiative at Georgetown University. The University describes the program as a “flagship opportunity for Georgetown’s most academically talented and ambitious undergraduates.” In her spare time, Mariana enjoys dancing and engaging in activities on campus that reflect her multicultural values. She participated in Reventon Latino during the fall of 2010 and is currently working on the Asia Fest 2011 showcase, where she will perform a traditional dance.

Yvonna Wade (COL ‘12) is pursuing a degree in Government and a minor in Theology. A native of East Orange, New Jersey, Yvonna developed a passion for serving inner city communities. Recently, Yvonna was awarded the Young Leaders for Change Award, commending her on her outstanding commitment to serving her community. In December 2009, Yvonna was selected to participate in an exchange program sponsored by the Republic of China’s Ministry of Education, where she participated in language programs as well as cultural activities. Yvonna has an interest in politics and international affairs, which inspired her to study abroad during the fall 2010 semester at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. In Cape Town, Yvonna volunteered at a local charter school for students in Cape Town. Yvonna founded a mentoring program, Sisters of the Cape, which was created to cultivate dialogue among young women from local townships, while building lifelong friendships and support systems. While in the Washington, D.C., Yvonna has coupled her interest in politics with invaluable work experience. Yvonna has interned with political analyst and Georgetown University professor Donna Brazile, as well as Congressman Donald Payne of New Jersey. After graduation, Yvonna plans to attend law school and is interested in pursuing a career in public office.

Christine Nguyen (MSB’12) is a junior in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. She is pursuing a degree in marketing with a minor in English. Christine was born in Guam, but she and her siblings spent most of their lives in Houma, Louisiana. She is the proud daughter to Steve and Mary Nguyen, both immigrants of Vietnam. At Georgetown, Christine works in the Undergraduate Admissions Office as a student assistant. She is active in campus life and participates in the Georgetown University Vietnamese Student Association and in the Dahlgren Chapel Community Choir. In the fall 2010 semester, Christine studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her major accomplishments include being selected for and participating in the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America Program in 2007. With her passion for diversity concerns and community building, she hopes to one day become the director and/or founder of a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing leadership and educational opportunities for students of underrepresented backgrounds.

Marta Aparicio (COL ’14) was born and raised in Guatemala before coming to the United States at age 11. In high school, Marta managed to deftly juggle two part-time jobs while staying on top of her studies. Marta graduated from high school as the class valedictorian and received the Providence Mayor David Cicilline Youth Excellence Award at the Rhode Island 2010 Hispanic American banquet. Marta plans to pursue a career as an immigration attorney and has an interest in juvenile justice issues. At Georgetown, Marta has been a great role model to the students that she works with through the D.C. Schools Project.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

GCSA Spring 2011 Scholarship Recipients

The GCSA is proud to announce our spring 2011 scholarship recipients: Christine Nguyen (2012), Mariana Hernandez (2014), Yvonna Wade (2012) and Marta Aparicio (2014). Congratulations to Christine, Mariana, Yvonna and Marta! These women are tremendous contributors to their communities and we are proud to have them as Hoyas! Check our blog again soon as photos and biographies will follow shortly.


As expected, all of our applicants this semester were impressive. Our awesome Selection Committee was both excited and inspired by the applicants’ passion and commitment to the community. It was tough selecting only 4 recipients from our applicant pool, but our Selection Committee was thoughtful and thorough throughout the selection process. A BIG gracias to the members of our Selection Committee this semester: Hugo Tzec (’02), Raymund Acevedo (G ’06), Mayra Fernandez (’03), Joseph Almeida (’05), Octavio Gonzalez (’06), Vicente Garcia (’05), Juan Venegas (’01) and Levee Brooks (’04). GCSA is forever grateful for the insight and support from caring Hoya alums like them!