By Will Grandbois
Sopris Sun Staff Writer
Local organizations announced $128,000 in financial aid for Roaring Fork High School students at scholarship night on May 15 as their proud parents listened to the litany.
Though many of those present gave a great deal of credit to counselor Andrea Caruso, she was humble as she addressed the assembly.
“This is one of my favorite nights of the year because we get to celebrate the incredible lives of young people who are about to start this important new stage,” she said. “These organizations represent the same generosity that we see in the kids that are here tonight… I hope you recognize that these scholarships represent our belief in you. We know you’re going to do wonderful things.”
One student who garnered particular recognition was Aldo Pinela, who walked away with eight separate scholarships. He plans to attend Colorado Mesa University and take courses from Western Colorado Community College in diesel technology.
“People are very generous,” he said. “It’s an honor and a blessing. It feels like four years of hard work is paying off.”
While local grants may not cover as much as the Boettcher Scholarship or Daniels Fund, principal Drew Adams sees them as an unprecedented sign of support.
“I’ve never seen this level of offering from a community to the high school,” he said.
Elsewhere, many students count mostly on state and federal funds, or on financial aid from the colleges themselves. Here, however, many of the donors know the students personally.
“They’re really being chosen for who they are,” Adams said. “To get that recognition really demonstrations the caliber of the type of student we have.”
Alpine Bank
Hispanic Scholar
Jenny Rios
American Legion 100
Buckshot Barry, Madeleine Miller, Tavia Teitler, Jasmin Contreras
Sons of the American Legion
Buckshot Barry
American Legion 100 Women’s Auxiliary
Maggie Eagleton
Aspen Board of Realtors
Reed Featherstone, Yaislin Vensior, Eduardo Yanez, Lily Ramos, Yareli Meraz, Bianca De La Torre
Aspen Community Theater
Emily Henley
Aspen Public Radio
Jensen Platero
Aspen Thrift Shop
Aldo Pinela
Brenda Patch
Basketball Scholarship
Jasmin Lopez, Aldo Pinela
Brenda Patch Memorial Scholarship
Hayden Bernot
Buddy Program
Yareli Meraz, Aldo Pinela, Kristin Page, Elle Derby
Carbondale Rotary
Yarelie Meraz,
Eryn Doherty, Aldo Pinela, Reed Featherstone,
Corey Johnson
CMC Foundation
Jenny RIos, Yareli Meraz
Colorado PEO
Corey Johnson
Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative
Reed Featherstone, Bianca
De La Torre, Jazmin Lopez, Jazmin Contreras, Sean Smollen, Yarelie Meraz,
Yaislin Venzor, Haison Villareal
Defiance Community
Players
Emily Henley
Fast Forward Scholarship
Kade Kennedy, Aldo Pinela, Haisson Villareal, Yarelie Meraz, Melisa Sanchez
Friends of the Glenwood Springs Airport
Andrew Kollar,
Reed Featherstone
Glenwood Springs
Board of Realtors:
Aldo Pinela
Harley Baldwin
Memorial Scholarship
Reed Featherstone,
Yaislin Vensior
John Gold Pre-Collegiate Scholarship
Aileen Arrevelo, Corey
Johnson, Jensen Platero, Aldo Pinela, Cindy Salinas, Jasmin Lopez, Jasmin Contreras
Katherine Long
Education Scholarship
Lindsay Hansen
RFCEA Future
Scholarship
Lindsay Hansen
RFHS Booster Club
Yarelie Meraz,
Maeve O’Donnell Pax,
Aldo Pinela, Wes Engstrom
Roaring Fork Rotary Club
Melisa Sanchez
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