Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe awards 19 scholarships

Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe (SISLT) awarded scholarships to a group of local students from South Tahoe High, George Whittell High, the Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy and Lake Tahoe Community College. The club, serving the community since 1959, has given out over one-million dollars to local graduates over the years.

Each of this year's winners "is impressive in their own right," said the club's scholarship committee. Since there was no awards event as in normal years, they asked each student to write a paragraph answering one of more of the following questions so that SISLT could get to know them better: Where do you see yourself in the future? Do you have a mentor or special person who has influenced your life? What are you most proud of? What advice would you give to incoming freshman at your high school or LTCC? How has growing up in Tahoe affected you as a person? Do you have a favorite quotation? Explain how it relates to your life.

"This year more than ever it’s inspiring to hear about their dreams to make our world a better, kinder place," added the SISLT committee.

2020 Soroptimist Scholarship Recipients from South Tahoe High School

Emma Aaron

In the future I see myself living in a small beach town with a job as a physical therapist and a family. I also hope to travel! I am most proud of myself for getting through high school with continuous good grades and balancing school and all my other activities including sports, friends, family, and a job. Growing up in Tahoe has made me have an appreciation for living in a small and supportive community. The natural beauty of Tahoe has also encouraged me to get out and experience the outdoors and to have a great respect for nature. The special person in my life who has always encouraged me to keep going is my dance teacher, Marcia Sarosik. She has never failed to put a smile on my face and will always be there for me no matter what. Marcia has taught me to be a good person and always look at the positive side. There is no way to express how grateful I am to have her in my life! My favorite quote is, "Never settle," because there is always room for growth no matter what. I always try to push myself harder in order to be the best version of myself possible.

Kayla Mason

In the future, I see myself working for a tech company in SoCal and continuing to pursue dance. I am most proud of my drive and perseverance for a higher education. Growing up in Tahoe has positively affected me as a person because I am more environmentally aware. A special person who has influenced my life is a school mentor who guided me through high school and has prepared for college and life. Some advice I would give incoming freshmen is to make some sort of connection with teachers and adult mentors. My favorite quote is "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass it's about learning how to dance in the rain". No matter how big the obstacle or the task at hand, learning to overcome life’s challenges is an important skill.

Kylie Pilkinton

I am so very grateful for the support of Soroptimist International of Lake Tahoe. With your support, and the support of others, I will be attending my dream university, Point Loma Nazarene University, where I plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in social work and then continue on to earn a masters as a licensed clinical social worker with a focus on counseling teens. I look forward to dedicating my life to helping others in an area that I feel is much needed. The teenage years are difficult, and I want to help teens navigate their challenges in any way I can. I was honored to have been voted most kind in my senior class and to have received the principal’s award for character. Being recognized for character is extremely meaningful to me and to the person I want to be throughout my life.

If there was one piece of advice that I would give to incoming freshman it would be a quote from Les Brown, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” I would encourage them to try their best and never give up.
Warm regards, Kylie

Joebelle Santos

I would first like to thank the Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe for awarding me with this scholarship which has shown me that I am capable of anything if I work hard enough for it. Growing up in Tahoe as the youngest sibling, I had many expectations to live up to just so I can make my parents and my brother and sister proud. Every day, I would push myself for my family whether it would be in rigorous classes, challenging sports, or anything else in life. They are the main reason where I am today, and I know that I will have their full support as I start my college journey.

Going to high school was not always easy, but I found it enjoyable when I surrounded myself with amazing friends, connected with teachers, and devoted my time to something I loved such as basketball and softball. That's what made me successful in high school.

In the future, I have yet to decide where to continue my education after attending LTCC, but as of right now, my intentions are to go into the fields of business and interior design. I am excited to see what the future has in store for me as I will continue to overcome anything that life will throw at me!

Clyde Rypins

In the future I hope to do interesting research in the field of chemistry or physics; my hope is that ultimately I can contribute to the growing body of research dedicated to the preservation of the human species through this era of rapidly advancing technology. One person who influenced my life a lot was Ms. Bedwell, the physics/chemistry teacher at STHS. She helped encourage my curiosity and my love for the sciences, and I will always be grateful for her support.
The only advice I have for incoming freshmen of the high school is to take whatever electives seem truly interesting; don’t just take an elective if you think it’ll look good on your college application.

My favorite quotation is “I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious”, said by Albert Einstein. To me, the significance is that it does not matter the quantity of natural affinity a person has for something; if a person is simply engaged and curious then they will excel.

Melanie Maher

My Name is Melanie Maher and here is a little bit about me..
If I could look through a crystal ball, hopefully, I would see myself successfully practicing environmental law. I am not sure where I will end up, but I know wherever it is, I want to use my successes to eventually give back to my community. (And maybe live in one of those really nice houses you see on Better Homes magazine covers). I attribute much of who I have become to where I grew up. Most obviously, my passion for environmental protection has stemmed from 14 years surrounded by one of nature's most impressive displays. However, aside from spectacular views, South lake Tahoe also offers a sense of isolation which has strengthened my independence and self-reliance. No matter where the wind takes me, I will always hold onto this quote by Abraham Lincon, “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses,” as a reminder that there is a positive to take away from any situation. Personally, I rather live my life looking at the roses rather than the thorns.

Dean Kallas

Dear Education and Youth Committee and Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe,

I want to begin by mentioning how appreciative and honored I am to have received an award from your lovely organization! As I approach the cusp of adulthood, I aspire to live by the principles of what it means to be apart of Soroptimist. By wanting to be a traveling physician, I can use the Soroptimist principles to enrich and improve the lives of others who need medical care.

On another note, I've worked tremendously hard to be where I am today. I finished in the top five percent of my class and managed to balance a part-time job and extra-curricular activities as well. As a teenager, learning how to organize and balance your lifestyle is a skill I've appreciated over time.

Eliana Carney

Hello to the people of South Tahoe Now. My name is Eliana Carney. In the fall, I will be heading down to UCLA for undergrad with the hope of continuing on to medical school in the future. Growing up in Tahoe has been amazing. How can you complain when living next to a lake people travel thousands of miles to visit? One thing I have learned growing up in such a beautiful place is to appreciate your surroundings (and the clean tap water). I'd have to say that my biggest inspiration has been my grandparents. From a young age they've taught me to prioritize my education and strive to be the best version of myself both academically and personally.

Alexa Caramazza

Malcolm X once said that "the future belongs to those who prepare for it today." Alexa Caramazza is a recent STHS graduate who has been preparing for her future. She plans on attending a four year university to study Kinesiology and medicine. She has prepared for her future by taking numerous sports medicine classes at STHS and has helped student athletes. Alexa wants to make a positive impact on patients not only in this community but also in third world countries. She believes that selfless acts are important. Alexa will continue to help others as she furthers her education in the health field.

2020 Soroptimist Scholarship Recipients from George Whittell High School

Emarie Howard

Advice that I would offer for incoming freshmen at George Whittell would be do not trust the girls you grew up with. Chances are they are going to leave you behind for a senior boy. If you start to lose your friends, take this time and learn to be alone. If you're worried about being solo, just know the people that genuinely want to be a part of your life, will make the effort. Those that don't will most likely be the girls you thought would be your bridesmaids. My one last piece of advice for the socially anxious and timid: eat lunch with Mrs. Johnson; she'll give you cookies.

Trinity Kirvida-McGowen

In the future I hope to be conducting research on groundbreaking medical studies to advance the treatment and outlook of the terminally ill, as well as possibly assisting humans in getting to space and the impact of that on the body. I'd like to take a second to thank my longtime, dedicated, and incredible science teacher who, through her teaching, gave me a deep love and passion for all things science. Without her, I don't believe I would have the strong foundation and will to pursue my degree and life goals. Thank you Ms. Cronk. My favorite quote is "Keep moving forward." from the movie "Meet the Robinsons." This quote is significant to me because I've had my share of tire-popping potholes and bumps in my road of life, but I have overcome them and will continue to do so. Mistakes and bad situations shouldn't define your life, so don't let them.

2020 Soroptimist Scholarship Recipients from Lake Tahoe Community College

Evan Ochoa

Through my life I have always looked up to the same two people every day, and they are my parents. If you ask kids who their mentor is or who they look up to they might tell you a famous athlete or a Superhero. But my parents are my superhero’s, and they would do anything in their power to make me and my brother happy. When I was a kid, I didn’t realize how much they did, or how hard it was being a parent. But now that I am older, and my brother is a father I know the struggles or raising a child and you wanting them to be the happiest they can. I am a first-time generation college student and it has put a lot of pressure on my shoulders to make everyone happy and succeed. My dad moved from Tucson to San Francisco when I joined college, and he did this to make enough money to pay my tuition and make sure I had all the resources I needed to be successful. These are the reasons why my parents are my mentors, my dad wanted me to have everything he didn’t have growing up. To this day they still don’t know how much I appreciate them.

Colby Goins

Where do I see myself in the future?
I see myself working as a Game Warden for the Department of Fish and Game. With this career, I hope to wake up every day excited for work. The concept of having an office outside and a mission of protecting what I love seems to be a safe bet for a happy life.

What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of what I have done with my life. Before and while attending college I feel I have really lived a rich life. I'm not talking about the quantity of money, but the number of good times. I'm proud of looking back on what I have done and where I have been. These memories that I have to relive will act as a deterrent for having a mid-life crisis.

Rosa Rosas

I am so lucky to be able to say that I was raised in South Lake Tahoe. Our community is amazing and everyone I have met along my journey has been incredibly supportive. I went to Bijou Community School, South Tahoe Middle School, and South Tahoe High School. I still talk to many of my teachers! In first grade, I taught myself how to read and to this day, every time I see my first grade teacher she reminds me. She remembers exactly what book it was and the number of hours I spent trying to teach myself how to read that one book. During my time at Bijou, my brother’s second grade teacher, Melissa Bornstein, became our mentor. She took my siblings and I under her wing and she changed our lives. There were days when my mom needed a break from all of us and Mrs. Bornstein was kind enough to give her a few hours of alone time. She is one of my main supporters. She has watched me grow and she has been there through my hardships and successes. Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money and because of Amy Jackson and the program known as “Sports Connection” my siblings and I were able to participate in sports for free. Thanks to this program and Amy Jackson, I grew up playing soccer and dancing. She is another woman who has been there for me and my list of amazing people in Tahoe could go on forever, so I will just leave it at that. South Lake Tahoe is very open and accepting of undocumented immigrants and I feel that because of this I am open about being a Dreamer. I am forever grateful that I was raised in such a beautiful place. Not only are we surrounded by nature and its beauty, but we are surrounded by genuinely kindhearted people. Although it saddens me to transfer to a university outside of home, I know that I can always come back.

Neil Mortimer

I am most proud of serving as a volunteer firefighter for the last 15 years and becoming a certified EMT through the National Registry for Emergency Medical Technicians. Prior to attending LTCC, I served as Chairman of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. Together with my wife, we have five children. Lake Tahoe is our indigenous home as Washoe people and it is a privilege to attend college in my ancestral homelands. My advice to incoming students is that it is never too late to accomplish your goals, and to persevere.

Nicola Evans

Living in Tahoe for the past decade has made me see that nature's classroom is the perfect learning environment. It is a privilege to live in such a beautiful and diverse place and coupled with my passion for teaching, I hope to share that with the next generation of learners. I have spent many years teaching skiing around the world and hope to trade in my mountain classroom for a more traditional setting. My goal is to become an elementary school teacher and bring the beauty of Tahoe to the classroom.

One of my favorite quotes is from Benjamin Franklin - "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." Hands-on learning and creative exploration are something I feel so passionate about. Being part of someone's learning and to help them unlock potential is so exciting to me. I am so grateful for this scholarship as it will help me on my mission to bring creative education to the masses.

Mikaela Manalili

I strongly adhere to my future plan working in the medical field as a Doctor. Specifically, I want to see myself as a cardiologist, and if I have my way I will build a cardiology unit at Barton Community Hospital as a way of giving back to the community. I’m proud of myself for overcoming all the trials that I have encountered these past few years. Working and studying at the same time is not easy and never will be but with the guidance of my family and friends I was able to survive my first year in college with flying colors. Even though I just moved here three years ago, Tahoe has become a home to me and it molds me into a better matured and independent young adult. It is here that I experienced the hardship of studying while working, which I never experienced before. And because of that hardship, it motivates me even more to study harder to achieve my goals in life and fulfill my dreams and make those people who helped me to be proud of me.
Maria Medel

I am most proud of not giving up, even when I doubted myself. Coming back to college as an adult learner has been a challenging adventure that I am glad I took on. I see myself helping others in the future, especially those who might feel like they don’t have a voice of their own. To anyone coming to LTCC, I would like to say welcome! You’ve made a great choice, everyone at LTCC will help you succeed, you will not regret your choice.

Kristen Oleson

Barack Obama once said, "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” This inspired me to begin to take action in my own community and to develop life skills to help others. At the age of twelve, I began looking for volunteer opportunities both abroad and domestic. I found many local volunteering opportunities such as tutoring math, teaching skating, and working with children with disabilities. When I was seventeen I had an opportunity to volunteer in Arusha, Tanzania with a group dedicated to teaching teenagers leadership skills. It was there I learned how powerful the actions of just one person can be. I began to see change not just as a force of development but how I could be a part of it. I plan to dedicate my time to helping others and use my power to not only create change but help others see how they too can make a difference in the world.

Tim Schneider

Born in South Lake Tahoe and raised in Oregon, Tim returned to the Basin where he has family after spending a gap year in Alaska. After establishing residency in California, he began his studies at Lake Tahoe Community College as an LTCC Promise scholar. He recently completed his first year, with a 4.0 GPA, and is on schedule to receive an AA degree in psychology next year. His goal is to pursue a B.A. in developmental psychology at UC San Diego.

In addition to being a student, Tim is also a gymnastics coach at Tumbleweeds Gymnastics in Minden and Carson City, NV, where he has been employed for the last two years. He finds working with children and young teens incredibly rewarding and values being able to have a positive impact on a young person's life. Because of this, he is also interested in pursuing a career as either a teacher or counselor at the elementary school level. In addition to being an educator, his professional goal is to own a gym as well as coach a competitive gymnastics team.

In addition to being a LTCC Promise scholar, Tim is an Eagle Scout and a member of both the Circle K International and AGS Honor Societies. His students, present and future, will be fortunate to have such a committed, dedicated advocate in their lives.

2020 Soroptimist Scholarship Recipient from Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy

Karina Nuñez

Hello, my name is Karina Nuñez and I am 22 years old. I recently graduated from the Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy in late June of 2020. As we all know, this year has been one of the hardest years for us all. With COVID taking over, it impacted our lives and it impacted the lives of all of the cadets in Class 14 of the Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy. Before this, I didn't know what my future was going to look like. Now I can see myself becoming the person I always wanted to be. Helping others and working my dream job as a full time firefighter. What I am most proud of is completing the Fire Academy and pursuing my dreams to reach my career. Though there were many hard knocks to get to where I am now I NEVER gave up. I stood firm and kept my head held high. I am currently working as a volunteer firefighter at Fallen Leaf Lake Fire Department and am in process to get my firefighter 1. Growing up in beautiful Lake Tahoe has been a blessing. I have met amazing people who have impacted me along the way. Someone who impacted me and my life extremely is Kileigh Labrado. She is someone very special to me and someone who I look up too. Ms. Labrado has been nothing but so incredibly amazing to me and all of Class 14. She showed me what it's like to be committed to something you love doing. I admire her for her passion for the Fire Academy and hard dedication to the fire service. It has truly been an honor to be her first class. Some advice I would give to incoming freshmen and anyone who has a dream would be to work harder even when you have achieved your dreams. Take pride in all that you do. One of my favorite quotes is, "You were born with the ability to change someone's life. Don't ever waste it. "