In the fiscal year 2023-’24, thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Foundation has awarded over 500 scholarships, totaling more than $900,000.
“We’re dedicated to empowering future generations through education, one scholarship at a time,” said Meredith Knowles, Director of Grantmaking. “Our commitment to financially investing in students supports their journey to higher education completion, fostering financial stability and success.”
The Foundation currently manages hundreds of scholarship funds, helping students pursue a diverse range of educational goals. A few years ago, Bob Weyant, a donor and alumnus of Fortuna Union High School (FUHS), reached out, wanting to create a new fund to help the next generation of students.
Weyant was inspired by his experience growing up in a lower-income community. As a high school graduate, Weyant received no scholarships and worked throughout college to afford his education. Reflecting on the challenges students face today, Weyant acknowledges that his college experience was much different and that affording college with just a part-time job is nearly impossible today.
Now, as a successful professional considering access to higher education, Weyant doesn’t want money to stand in the way of FUHS students. Weyant credits the thoughtful counselors at Fortuna High for introducing him to the promising students of the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán, also known as the M.E.Ch.A. Club.
Today, the Fortuna High School Scholarship Fund for the M.E.Ch.A. Club supports a graduating senior with a $10,000 scholarship, distributed over four years. This year’s recipient, Jasmin Carillo, is now a freshman at the University of California, Santa Cruz, majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Weyant says the counselors explained that the students in M.E.Ch.A. showed incredible promise and a commitment to education, but many would face struggles affording the rising costs of a four-year education. “Establishing the scholarship fund feltlike a good way to help students like Jasmin reach their college dreams,” says Weyant.
For Carillo, the scholarship started by applying to the Foundation’s Universal Application, which is powered by an in-house application platform, Scholarship Finder.
“I want to thank Bob and everyone who helped create the M.E.Ch.A. scholarship. It will definitely make it easier to pay for all the expenses during my college career. I encourage all students to check out the Scholarship Finder,” says Carillo.
The HAF+WRCF Universal Application is a single application that students can use to access over 190 scholarship opportunities. The Universal Application opens in mid-January each year, with an early March deadline. However, some scholarships are offered throughout the year, so check back often!
Learn more at hafoundation.org/scholarships.
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Read through more highlights from the 2023-2024 HAF+WRCF Annual Report and Yearbook.