Each May, Aurora AAUW awards at least one $1,000 scholarship to an Aurora resident for their junior or senior year at a Colorado college or university with a minimum 3.0 GPA.  Because of the generosity of our members and community, we often award more than one scholarship for $2,000.  All scholarship winners are awarded student membership in AAUW.  This year we  awarded three $2000 scholarships.

Our Local Scholarship is supported by a fall fundraiser. Additionally, friends and family have donated to the scholarship in honor of long time AAUW members who have passed.

We greatly appreciate your support.

If you would like a scholarship application, please click here.

2023 Scholarship Winners

Jessica Navarro will be a senior at the University of Colorado at Boulder, majoring in Biomedical Engineering and minoring in Electrical Engineering.  She is a second year recipient of the scholarship and plans to honor her family next year upon graduation.  Jessica plans to go on to graduate school, but currently is focusing on finishing her undergraduate program. Yet, she still does a work study program, Pre-Collegiate Development Program, and helping those students with resources to pursue options for their future.  Jessica is a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, as well as the Biomedical Engineering Society.

 

Emma Lehman will be a junior at the University of Denver, majoring in Pre-Art Conservation at a Museum.  She plans to attend graduate school to complete Art Conservation.  She currently works part-time as an optician at Smokey Hill Eye Care in Aurora to support herself in college.  At the University of Denver, she is involved in the art club and is an adult supervisor for the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls.

Kimberly Blanco will be entering the University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz, having attended the Community College of Aurora and University of Colorado.  “Her dream is to be: Kimberly Blanco, BSN-helping to save lives every day.”  As a first generation student, she knows of the need to mentor elementary, middle, and high school students.  She has given back to her community through multiple services, like toy drives, Boys and Girls Hope organizations, and mentoring.  Recently, she tutored refugee students in mathematics at Aurora Central High School.  She is currently employed part-time at Fashion Q at the Town Center of Aurora.

2022 Scholarship Winners

Malia Jimerson, is the recipient of the AAUW Helen Ames Memorial Scholarship and will be a junior at the University of Northern Colorado, majoring in Elementary Education with a math emphasis.  She is a graduate of Gateway High School.

Jennifer Martinez Gomez will be a senior at the University of Colorado, Denver, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience.  She is a graduate of Gateway High School and also a recipient in 2021.

Jessica Navarro will be a junior at the University of Colorado in Boulder and is majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Electrical Engineering.  She is a graduate of Aurora Central High School.

Luz Rivera will be a junior at the University of Colorado College of Nursing.  She graduated from Hinkley High School.

Lauren Sassier will be a senior at the University of Colorado, Denver, majoring  in Nursing.  She is a graduate of Vista PEAK Preparatory and was also a scholarship recipient last year.

 

2021 Scholarship Winners

This year the scholarship committee was able to award five $2000 scholarships.  Following are the winners:

Victoria Kaufman at the University of Denver, majoring in Electrical Engineering.

Jennifer Martinez Gomez at the University of Colorado Denver, majoring in. Psychology-Public Health.

Mi Nai San (Minnie) at the University of Denver, majoring in Criminology and Political Science.

Lauren Sassier-junior at the University of Colorado School of Nursing.

AAUW Scholarship Photo

Sarah Thomson-Senior at the University of Denver, majoring in  Biology and Psychology.

 

 

2020 Scholarship Winners

This has been a challenging and rewarding year for the scholarship committee. It has been equally challenging for the students who’ve applied.  We have selected five recipients and will give them full recognition in September via a Zoom meeting.  IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT Betty Anne BUDY AT dbudy@comcast.net.

Briana Aguilar- will be majoring in Psychology/Criminology at the University of Denver and has a GPA of 3.71.  She describes herself as a first generation Latina daughter of immigrant parents and a low-income family who is in need of assistance to pay for college.  She wants to become a psychologist or mental health counselor working in marginalized communities.  Currently, she is a research assistant in trauma studies at the university.  She holds leadership positions as the Treasurer of the Psychology Club and is in the Psi Chi National Honor Society.  She is also a student Liaison and on the E-Board for the Latinx Student Alliance club.  She is also a work study student.

Victoria Kauman– is majoring in electrical engineering at the University of Denver with a 3.50 GPA.  Victoria describes herself as a low-socioeconomic, first-generation student whose parents are immigrants from Belarus.  her parents have stressed education as a way to a better life.  She is active in E-Stem and 1GenU.  Before the virus, she worked at Prairie Middle School twice a week teaching STEM enrichment class to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls in a program called Latinas in STEM.  She is an assistant coordinator for Excelling Leaders Institute.  She has a work study position in the program, Voluntees in Partnership.  She is part of Colorado Women’s College Scholars program and is dedicated to helping under-representated students.

Angel Lozano-Santoyo- will attend Metropolitan State University and had a 3.02 GPA at Community College of Aurora (CCA).  His major will be Business Management.  Angel is not eligible for Federal loans, but he is proud of his responsibilities and leadership role at McDonalds.  In high school, (New America School-Lowry), he took concurrent classes to gain his Associate degree at CCA.  While a student there, he was President of Brother2Brother, a program that empowers male students of color to be successful in life. He also completed the Quest Leadership Program and received the CCA Leadership Certificate.  He was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship.

Connor Rodenbeck-attends the University of Denver with a 3.94 GPA, majoring in English.  ” I am passionate about the art and craft of writing”, says Connor.  Without family support, he works two part-time jobs-student administrative assistant in DU’s Department of English and Literary Arts and sales associate at Urban Outfitters.  Connor is a first generation student and member of 1GenU. he is a Prose Intern for the Denver Quarterly and is the Poetry Editor at DU’s Literary Magazine, Foorhills.  Last summer, he interned with Lighthouse Writers Workshop and served as editor for their annual youth anthology.  Currently, he has two poems that have been accepted for the University of Alabama’s Literary Journal, Call Me.

Miriam Romero-attends the University of Dever and majors in Spanish/Real Estate with a 3.47 GPA. Her degree will be a B.S. in Business Administration.  Her family is also low-income and enormously supportive of her goals.  She aspires to create a business with her father.  She is part of the 1GenU and Volunteers in Partnership.  Miriam has worked at DU vocalizing minority concerns to administrators.  She prepared a paper with suggestions to make DU more inclusive and this was passed on to the senior Diversity Officer. These suggestions are now being discussed and making an impact.   Outside of school, she mentors with INSPIRE.

2019 Scholarship Winners

Four, $1500 scholarships were awarded at the May luncheon in 2019.  Each of the recipients were exceptional,  meeting and passing the requirements of the scholarship.

Recipients are: Christina Green ( a recipient last year also), Phuong Quynh Nguyen, Vanessa Shelton, and Muktar Said.

Christina Green will be in her Senior year at the University of Northern Colorado majoring in Special Education.  A quote from one of her recommendations, states “As a university student, Mrs. Green’s leadership and understanding of education is unmatched”.  Christina is an excellent student and is dedicated to helping children with learning disabilities.  In addition to being a full-time student, she cares for her elderly grandparents and works full-time.  She volunteers with church school and offers free photography for special events.

Phuong Quynh Nguyen and her family came to the United States less than three years ago with the sponsorship of her grandfather who was a soldier in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War.  In that time, she has learned to speak a new language; graduate from the Community College of Aurora with a 4.0; and was accepted into the Integrated Nursing Program at the University of Colorado of Denver.  In addition, she volunteers at UC Health and the Food Bank  of the Rockies as a warehouse assistant.

Vanessa Shelton graduated from high school and college in May with a 4.3 GPA from high school and 3.8 GPA from Arapahoe Community College.  Her long-term goal is to earn a law degree.  She will attend the University of Colorado Denver.  She has already begun pursuit of her legal career participating in Teen Court, a restorative justice system for teens who commit misdemeanor offenses.  She also has over 340 hours service in her church the past 3 years.  She also is lead singer and musician and a Sunday School mentor at her church . As an Alpha Captain at TJ Maxx, she holds a leadership position.

Muktar Said came to the United States with his family from Ethiopia.  He also learned English and began his journey at the Community College of Aurora.  He graduated with a 3.6 GPA and has been accepted at The Colorado School of Mines in Engineering in Engineering.  At CCA he was Secretary of the Brother 2 Brother program, that focuses on involving and helping students improve their academic achievements and school involvement.  This allowed him to develop his leadership skills.  Muktar is also an employee at the Amazon Warehouse Fulfillment Center.  He wants to use his education to improve the ecological challenges caused by the petroleum industry.

2018 Scholarship Winners

Five scholarships of $1000 were awarded to Aurora residents this year.  This year was a very unusual and special year for our Branch Scholarships.  At our March branch meeting, Dr. Nita Mosby Tyler announced that her group would donate $1000 from The Equity Project.  That scholarship was given by Jasmine Elizabeth to Deisy Rosales.

Nelly Abrimov will be a senior at the University of Colorado Denver.  Nelly is a graduate of Overland High School and the Community College of Aurora.  She is majoring in Finance and Accounting.  She has maintained a 3.7 GPA and hopes to be accepted into the school’s 4+1 program that includes the master’s degree.  Her job in a healthcare agency helps also to pay her tuition.

Christina Al Shaer is a graduate of the Community College of Aurora and will be a Junior at CU in the Nursing Pathways Program. She has a 4.0 GPA and is the single mother of five children.  She is excited to be pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse.  The recommendations for her to receive the scholarship consistently refer to her intellect and desire to learn and be the best she can.  She also works part-time.

Grace Hoag graduated from Eaglecrest High School and will be a Junior at the University of Northern Colorado with a major in Art and Design, a minor in Business Administration and a Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship.  She has a 4.0 GPA and has built her own website.  She has also organized her own solo art show at a local brewery.  She was chosen from a very competitive field to be the Assistant to the College Director of Galleries.

 

Christina Harrod is a Junior at the University of Northern Colorado for Urban Education at the Lowry Campus.  She is a graduate of the Community College of Aurora and has a 3.68 GPA at UNC.  She is pursuing a degree in Special Education.  Christina says that she knew in 2nd Grade that she wanted to be a teacher  Her passion is to advocate for children with invisible disabilities, like attention deficit disorder. She was the President of Alpha Pi Pi Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society and is a valued, part-time member in the Student Success Center.

 

Deisy Rosales will be a junior at Metro State University, majoring in Integrative Healthare with a minor in Business Management.  She has a 3.8 GPA from the Community College of Aurora.  Josh Ryines, Program Coordinator at CCA says that Deisy is his most promising student.  The Director of the Student Success Center says that Deisy has all the attributes for a student to excel in college, in spite of many struggles.

 

2017 Scholarship Winners

Four scholarships of $1000 were awarded to Aurora residents this year.

Jesus Calderon graduated from the Community College of Aurora with a 3.56 GPA and will attend Colorado State University in the fall.  His major will be Communications with a minor in Political Science.  He has been a member of the Student Government Association, the national organization, United We Dream, and a resource for student led organizations.  Jesus has volunteered at non-profit organizations that help young immigrants obtain work permits and prepared documents for them to apply for citizenship.  He served as the head delegate of the CCA National Model United Nations delegation team in New York City, where they competed with colleges and universities from all over the world.  They received and Honorable Mention Award, the only one to a community college.

Andrea Mora Ojeda graduated from the Community College of Aurora with a 4.0 GPA.  She has begun her studies at Regis University majoring in Applied Psychology.  She is an international student from Argentina.  Her family there is not able to provide any support, but her extended family here provides that incredible familial support.  She is engaged in community volunteerism, writing a newsletter to students; and was in the Student Government at CCA, where she held the position of Vice President and Senator.  She volunteers with the Remax Altitude in Green Valley Ranch to assist in programs that make information available to the community.  She also assists in community events and seminars as well; plus she volunteers her time with the Hispanic Wealth Project and the Aurora Youth Options as a mentor to high school students.

Kayla Robbins graduated from the Community College of Aurora with a 4.0 GPA.  She will be attending CU Denver’s Nursing School to obtain a BSN.  She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa a fraternity for students demonstrating academic excellence.  As someone who completed the Nursing Pathway Program, she has her Certified Nursing Assistant and Nursing Administration (nursing home) certification.  Her academic references describe her as consistently stellar, outperforming other high achievers.  Kayla is intelligent, humble, and compassionate they state.  Over the past 4 years, she has worked and saved to pay for her own education.  With this scholarship she hopes to reach her goal of Nurse Practitioner.

Grace Schumacher graduate from the Community College of Aurora with a 3.56 GPA.  She was accepted into the Integrated Nursing Pathway at CCA and will begin her nursing program at CU Denver’s Nursing School at the Anschutz Medical Center this summer.  She is a Certified Nurse Aid and works at Parker Adventist Hospital in Critical Care.  Grace was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, where she lived for 15 years.  She completed her early education in Pakistan and later traveled to South Africa, volunteering in townships and areas of need.  She volunteers now with the Project Worthmore, a non-profit organization that helps refugees.  She also teaches English, administers for a food drive, and helps with a community garden.  She has served in Campus Core, mentoring juveniles and struggling youth.

 

2016 Scholarship Winners

Four scholarships of $1000 were awarded to Aurora residents this year.

Eduardo Garcia graduated from Aurora Central High School and the Community College of Aurora with a 3.78 GPA.  He will be a junior at Metropolitan State University of Denver, majoring in Sociology. Eduardo is the first in his family to graduate high school and attend college.  He is a member of Authors Police Explorer Program and a volunteer tutor.  He has also been a work study student in Financial Aid at CCA.

Meron Gebreyesus is from Ethiopia and graduated from CCA with a 3.895 GPA.  She has been accepted into the Colorado University College of Nursing.  Meron hopes to become a Nurse Practitioner specializing in pediatrics.  She is married and has a wonderful 15 month old son.

Teresa Hernandez will be a senior at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center and will receive a degree in nursing. Theresa worked in the medical field for nine years before she was able to apply for the nursing program.  Her hard work and diligence have made her education possible.

Sarah Marshall will be a junior at Metropolitan State University of Denver.  She graduated with a 4.0 from CCA.  Sarah will receive her degree in accounting .  She comes with excellent recommendations from Financial Aid Dept. of CCA.

2015 Scholarship Winners

Four scholarships totaling $ 3,500 were awarded to Aurora residents at our May luncheon.

Amanda Pajonk is the President of the Women’s Coalition at the Community College of Aurora and will attend the University of Colorado Denver and major in accounting.  Sonja Ford will attend Colorado Women’s College at the University of Denver and plans to work in the field of K-12 Special Education.  Stephanie Aker will attend the University of Colorado College of Nursing where she plans to become a registered nurse and work with at risk populations.  Maria Garibay Campos attends Metropolitan State University where she is a Student Trustee for student government.  She will major in accounting with the ultimate goal of delivering financial empowerment to under served communities.

2014 Scholarship Winners

In May 2014, we awarded $3500 in scholarships to four Aurora residents.  Jose Guerrero Baez is a junior majoring in nursing at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.  Chelsea Brunner is a junior majoring in Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University.  She plans to become a chiropractor.  Brianna Whitaker is a senior at Colorado State University majoring in business Administration.  She is interested in working for a non-profit that focuses on providing education to under represented communities.  Breanna Snyder (not pictured) is a senior at Colorado State University majoring in Health and Exercise Science.  She would like to work with college or professional sports.

 

2013 Scholarship Winners

We awarded three $1,000 scholarships and one $ 750 scholarship in 2013.

Kara Ninke is a senior at Colorado School of Mines majoring in Mechanical Engineering.  She intends to specialize in renewable energy.

Sandra Padilla is a junior at the Women’s College of Denver University majoring in Information Technology.

Jugbeh Doe Smith is a graduate of the Community College of Aurora and a student affiliate member of Aurora AAUW.  She will be attending the University of Colorado Denver majoring in Business Administration.
Maria Campos is a student at the Community College of Aurora and is enrolled in the Pathway to Nursing program associated with Anschutz Medical Campus.  She plans to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.