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.

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.

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!

Deadline Extended for 2011 Spring Semester GCSA Scholarship

The GCSA has extended the deadline for the 2011 Spring Semester GCSA Scholarship. The new deadline is 9:00PM Tuesday, February 22, 2011. Please submit a complete application package to scholarships@georgetowncomunidad.org.

To be eligible for the scholarship, the applicant should be:

• A full-time undergraduate student at Georgetown University
• Graduating in 2011, 2012, 2013, or 2014
• Demonstrate financial need
• Not be a past recipient of the GCSA Scholarship

The GCSA Scholarship Application can be retrived from our website at http://www.georgetowncomunidad.org.

Brainstorming the mission...

The GCSA Board of Directors is having its first Annual Meeting of the Board to layout the mission, goals and objectives of the GCSA for the coming years! We'll be hosting an alumni-student mixer on the campus of Georgetown University as well as a scholarship application workshop for undergraduate students. More updates to come!

GCSA Holiday Potluck in Los Angeles

Between Christmas and the New Year, a group of the Georgetown Comunidad got together in Los Angeles, California for a holiday potluck and board game night. It was an awesome gathering of undergrads and alumni from the Southern California area. The event was a great way to gather la comunidad in L.A. and close out 2010 with a spirit of community and family. The highlight of the night was playing charades by the backyard fire pit. A special word of thanks goes to Joe Saucedo for organizing the event and Carlos Avila for hosting the potluck at his home in Montebello. Look out for more GCSA gatherings in 2011!

Felicidades and Thank You!

The GCSA is proud to announce our first ever upper class scholarship recipients: Brenda Garcia and Alejandro Gonzalez. Both Brenda and Alejandro play pivotal roles in the comunidad at Georgetown.

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Alejandro Gonzalez
SFS '12, Miami, FL
Born in the small town of Güira de Melena, Cuba, Alejandro came to the United States with his parents in 1997. Living in Miami allowed him to grow up enjoying the beauty of American culture while also developing a strong passion for his raices cubanas. This same passion has motivated Alejandro to be deeply involved in spreading awareness of Cuba to the outside world. Alejandro led the Cuban-American Student Association at Georgetown and organized a trip to the island with students and faculty. Alejandro is equally passionate about making quality education accessible to immigrant families. He has created and taught the Citizenship and Naturalization class for the DC Schools Project at Georgetown and is involved in spreading awareness about the DREAM Act on and off campus. Alejandro is currently a junior majoring in International Politics in the SFS and plans to work in Latin America upon graduation. His favorite thing about Georgetown is the strong bonds of friendship he has with people from all over the world. He loves to spend time with family and friends, try new kinds of food, and dance latin music.

Brenda Garcia
SFS '11, McAllen, TX
Brenda Garcia is currently a Senior at Georgetown University and comes from McAllen, Texas. She is majoring in International Politics with a certificate in Women's and Gender Studies. While at Georgetown, Brenda has been thoroughly invested in the Latino community serving as the treasurer of M.E.Ch.A. and spearheading the 2009 East Coast Chicano Student Forum Conference: "Narcocultura: Drug-trafficking and its Effects on Latino Communities." She is a Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellow and recently interned with the Democratic consulting firm, Molly Allen Associates, working for multiple congressional campaigns. She recently got accepted into Teach For America and will be teaching secondary math in Philadelphia next year!

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Our selection process this cycle was, as expected, tough! The GCSA Selection Committee dedicated many hours to reviewing all 17 scholarship applications and had the difficult task of selecting two applicants from a stellar applicant pool. We appreciate all the hard work of Gloria Gasca ('03), Jose Barragan ('04), Berenice De La Parra ('97), Maria Moser ('04), Christina Estrada ('09) and Octavio Gonzalez ('06). Mil gracias!

Coming up next - another round of scholarships for first year and upper class students to come for spring 2011. Keep a look out for application materials.

Another important update - fundraising! We are currently raising scholarship funds for 2011 and we need your help! Consider making a small donation to the GCSA to keep supporting students like Brenda and Alejandro. To donate online, click on the "Donate" PayPal button on the top right hand side of our blog, or mail a check made out to the Georgetown Comunidad Scholarship Association to P.O. Box 3531, Redwood City, CA 94064. We hope we can count on your support!