$2K College Scholarships Awarded To 5 Fairfield Students

FAIRFIELD, CA — Five recent Fairfield high school graduates received $2,000 college scholarships from Travis Credit Union, which awarded a total of 20 scholarships in the same amount.

Tai Wilson will study Biochemistry at Seattle University; Keaton Stout will study Commercial Music at Azusa State University; Mauricio Curiel will study Computer Engineering at San Jose State University; Chantel Martino will study Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley; Sunshine McDonald will study Biology at Florida University.

Each recipient also got a $200 gift card that could be used towards a family dinner celebration.

Due to the pandemic, the students received their awards via a ‘Gala in a Box,’ which included the scholarship award announcements, with TCU board members as well as executive leadership members coordinating live Zoom calls with the families to join with them virtually in opening the ‘special delivery’ box and celebrating their achievement.

For 17 years, TCU has been awarding 20 local, college-bound seniors with a $2,000 Mary Keith Duff Memorial Scholarship. To qualify, students must be high school seniors, have a GPA of at least 3.0, and submit a 500-word personal statement essay on their plans for the future.

The selected scholars will be studying a range of subjects this fall, including political science, nursing, molecular cell biology, neuroscience, and mechanical engineering.

The students have been accepted at Seattle University, UC Davis, Duke University, UC Berkeley, Cal Poly, Indiana University, John Hopkins University, and Stanford University.

“The decision to take education to the next level is a success in itself," said Nav Khanna, Executive Vice President of Travis Credit Union. "So, I applaud you, all of you, taking that step as you are off to an exciting and rewarding new adventure.”

Here is a complete list of $2,000 scholarship recipients and their hometowns:

• Sanaa Carson of Vacaville graduated from Buckingham Collegiate Charter, will study nursing at Tuskegee University
• Grace Clinton of Merced graduated from El Capitan High School, will study political science at Westmont College
• Kyle Coaker of Brentwood graduated from Heritage High School, will study Neuroscience and Biology at Duke University
• Mauricio Curiel of Fairfield graduated from Rodriquez High School, will study Computer Engineering at San Jose State University
• Molly Feins of Vacaville graduated from Vacaville High School, will study Animal Science at Cal Poly
• Yara Eilan of Walnut Creek graduated from Northgate High School, will study International Law at Indiana University
• Landrie Headrick of Vacaville graduated from Vacaville High School, will study Nursing at Brigham Young University
• Cassidy Horn of Vacaville graduated from Vacaville High School, will study Pre-Economics and Accounting at UC Santa Barbara
• Taylor Ito of Napa graduated from Vintage High School, will study Psychology at UC San Diego
• Chantel Martino of Fairfield graduated from Armijo High School, will study Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley
• Sunshine McDonald of Fairfield graduated from Vanden High School, will study Biology at Florida University
• Zatara Nepomuceno of Davis graduated from Davis High School, will study Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University
• Crystal Ong of Clayton graduated from Clayton Valley Charter High School, will study Molecular Cell Biology at UC Berkeley
• Audrey Pettengill of Vacaville graduated from Will C. Wood High School, will study Biology at UC Merced
• Alexandra Ruport of Woodland graduated from Woodland Senior High School, will study Pre-Nursing at Boise State University
• Mara Bravo-Santos of El Cerrito graduated from El Cerrito High School, will study Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University
• Keaton Stout of Fairfield graduated from Vanden High School, will study Commercial Music at Azusa State University
• Guadalupe Valdez of Vacaville graduated from Will C. Wood High School, will study Molecular and Medical Biology at UC Davis
• Tai Wilson of Fairfield graduated from Vanden High School, will study Biochemistry at Seattle University
• Jadelyn Young of Dixon graduated from Dixon High School, will study Health Science at Sacramento State