Meet Our Gold Medal $2,500 Scholarship Winner!
We’re delighted to announce the winner of our $2500 Gold Medal Scholarship: Kevin Ayala. Kevin is a first-generation student from Indio, California, and will be attending Pomona College this fall. He intends to pursue a career in Patent Law and has already begun educating himself by interning at a local law firm (just one of his three jobs!). Kevin is kind, responsible, and has an amazing work ethic. He stands out for his quiet leadership and consistent dedication to excellence and success – both his own and others.
We asked Kevin to share his story with you. You can read it here, or click below to see his video!
Kevin says:
I’m really thankful for this award, as it will go a long way in helping me face the challenges that college will bring with it. I’m the son of two immigrants - we moved to California when I was about 5, and I’ve grown up here in Indio. I really love it here, and I’ve done my best to work for the community, especially with the youth group here at my church.
I’ve had a few jobs over the years, and, in fact, I started working at 12 years old, at a flag football league called FNL. I’ve also worked at a Mexican food restaurant and at the Walter Clark Legal Group. My Senior year, I was working these three jobs at the same time, as well as studying to get my pilot’s license, keeping my grades up, and participating in clubs and activities at the school.
Needless to say, it’s been a busy time! In fact, I imagined that I would have to stay this busy well throughout my college life, and was very worried about the prospect of holding down a job or two while trying to deal with the even more demanding curriculum in college. That’s why I’m so thankful to have received this scholarship. Not only will it allow me to purchase basic things like my books and supplies, but it will give me breathing room, so that I can focus on school and acclimating to my new environment without having to worry about getting a job immediately or working full time while trying to study.
Seeing that first email was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Without having to worry about keeping all of those jobs in order to save up the money I needed, I’ve been able to stick with just one job, and pare it down to 40 hours a week. I’ve been able to spend more time with my family and friends, which is a welcome change before I move off to college. And I’m also very excited to say that I’ve gotten my student pilot license and have done my first solo flight! I can now work even faster towards my private pilot license.
If you’re a high school student, or know anyone in high school, I would highly recommend starting your Cirkled in profile now. Not only is this scholarship an amazing way to help yourself pay for college, even just making an account is super useful. It’s a way to get yourself noticed by colleges, and a collecting point for all your achievements throughout high school, which will make college applications a breeze! This is a great jumping off point, especially if you’re like me and didn’t have anyone in your family who knew how to navigate the college admissions process.
So take a chance, open your account, see what you can accomplish. You’ll never believe the places you can go!
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We’re very excited to introduce you to this young man and honored to help him reach his dreams. Meet Kevin by clicking on this short video!
