North Central Students Scoop Prestigious Scholarships

Sixty high school seniors and adult learners from around Arizona each received a $3,000 scholarship, courtesy of Desert Financial Credit Union, including six students from North Central Phoenix (submitted photo).

Six North Central Phoenix students were awarded $3,000 scholarships from Desert Financial Credit Union this past May. In total, Desert Financial distributed $192,000 in scholarships to various high school seniors and adult learners across Arizona.

“We are proud to have given away more than $1 million in scholarships to high school seniors and adult learners in the past eight years,” stated Jeff Meshey, Desert Financial Foundation vice-chair. He emphasized that fostering an educated workforce is crucial for enhancing economic opportunities, which aligns with Desert Financial’s long-standing commitment to education.

The scholarship initiative aims to support different groups. The Community Service Scholarships target high school seniors actively volunteering, while the Adult Learners Scholarships benefit individuals aged 25 or older who are pursuing further education or professional certificates. Nearly 250 Arizona students vied for the 60 scholarships available.

From North Central Phoenix, the Community Service Scholarship recipients include Brooklin Curtis from Sunnyslope High School, heading to Arizona State University to study civil engineering; Andrew Phillips from Brophy College Preparatory, who logged 400 volunteer hours in 2023 and plans to study aerospace engineering at ASU; Ryleigh Mangundayao from Xavier College Preparatory, who will major in public health at ASU; and Daphne Maroney from Sunnyslope High School, who completed over 115 volunteer hours and will study biochemistry at ASU.

Adult Learner Scholarships were awarded to Amber Robinson, enrolled in environmental science and sustainability at Phoenix College, and Rika Kuwahara, pursuing a master’s in education at ASU.

For more information about the Desert Financial Foundation scholarship programs, visit www.desertfinancial.com/scholarships.