Vladimir Rosales. Courtesy photo.
SANTA MARIA — A student leader/athlete at Pioneer Valley High School has been rewarded for his efforts with a $100,000 McDonald’s HACER Scholarship.
Vladimir Rosales will be the first in his family to have an opportunity to attend college and is heading to San Jose State University as a mechanical engineering major.
“I would first like to thank all the staff from the McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship. I still find it surreal that I was one of 30 people in the nation to win this scholarship, especially one of the large amounts. I always tried my best to be competitive for colleges and scholarships, but I never expected my hard work to take me this far. In my four years of attending PVHS, I have been a part of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams as a runner and a team captain. My high school Key Club has created the largest impact on me by teaching me about giving back to the community and inspiring me to continue doing just that in the future. At the end of the day, without my parents, I wouldn’t have had the motivation to be the first my family to attend a four-year university. I hope to inspire my siblings to continue their pursuit of a higher education. ” – Vladimir Rosales
The McDonald’s HACER® National Scholarship counts on the exclusive support of McDonald’s Corporation and McDonald’s Hispanic owner/operators. It was created in 1985 to grant eligible Hispanic/Latino students financial help so they can achieve their dreams through higher education. The scholarship winners are selected based on their academic achievement, community involvement, and financial need. The rigorous selection process includes a completed application, a personal questionnaire and interviews with a distinguished panel of judges representing academia, business, media, and McDonald’s.
Rosales proved he had the right stuff. His other activities involved membership in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and serving as a Spanish translator and peer tutor. His GPA is 3.74 and class rank is 56/612.
“Having Vlad is like having an another assistant coach but instead he is a student-athlete,’’ said Panther Science Teacher and Head Cross Country Coach Riccardo Magni. “He is the very best teenage leader that I have met in 24 years of teaching and coaching.”
Karen Apple, who is charge of the peer-tutoring program, agreed.
“As a PVHS Peer Tutor Vladimir demonstrates understanding, patience and humility with a sincere interest in helping others,’’ Apple said. “He uses his knowledge and skills, not just to teach, but to build up those who surround him. He is a leader as much as he is a forerunner who sets the pace. He will be greatly missed, but we are so excited for what lies ahead of him.’’