Arianna Lopez. Courtesy photo
CARPINTERIA — Girls Inc. of Carpinteria has announced that Arianna Lopez, an 18-year-old senior and a long-time Girls Inc. of Carpinteria participant, has been selected as a 2015 scholarship winner in the competitive Girls Inc. National Scholar Program. She was awarded $20,000 to be applied toward going to college and earning a degree.
Girls Inc. National Scholars are outstanding young women selected for exemplifying the Girls Inc. mission of inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold, the organization reported in a media release. They are role models for other girls who demonstrate a commitment to achieving academically and serving their communities. This year, Girls Inc. awarded 31 high school girls scholarships for educational expenses at any accredited college or university, from a record-high pool of applicants.
Lopez joins a list of 18 other young girls from Girls Inc. of Carpinteria to be named a National Scholar.
“We are beyond thrilled to see Arianna receive this prestigious, well-deserved award and be named a Girls Inc. National Scholar,” Victoria Juarez, executive director of Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, stated in the release. “Arianna is an incredible young leader who proves that with the right support, all girls can achieve success and change their communities for the better. We’re proud to be developing the next generation of young female leaders at Girls Inc. and look forward to seeing Arianna continue to reach great heights.”
As a young girl, Lopez battled illness, including a head injury at the age of five. She has been with Girls Inc. of Carpinteria for 14 years and has participated in nearly every program the organization offers, building resilience, developing a support network, and acquiring the skills she needed to become an advocate for the Carpinteria community.
Lopez, who has completed more than 2,600 community service hours, spent six years successfully nurturing a diverse local coalition to ban smoking in the city of Carpinteria, the organization reported. She and her peers researched, attended trainings, cultivated local businesses, educated community members and spoke at City Council meetings. The ban went into effect on May 16, 2011, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and decreasing tobacco-related litter in the community.
“Arianna’s journey has always been positive by her own doing and she has had an undisputed impact on her peers and younger girls through her empathy, strength and leadership skills,” Asa Olsson, former cultural arts director at Girls Inc., who met Arianna as a first-grader in the drama program at Girls Inc., stated in the release. “She sets her goals high and sees the occasional stumbling blocks as challenges to be conquered. It’s been a privilege seeing her grow up to become the young woman she is today — an outstanding advocate and spokesperson for a healthy community and for the rights of women and girls.”
In 2014, Lopez was recognized for her community service by Radio Disney with a “Hero for Change” award, for highlighting the risks of smoking and helping make Carpinteria a smoke-free city.
Through Girls Inc. programs and events, Lopez said she met inspiring girls and encouraging women who made her want to strive to be like them. She also credits an experience meeting creators at DreamWorks through Girls Inc. for sparking her interest in graphic design.
“I am ecstatic and feel so fortunate to have been selected as a Girls Inc. National Scholarship recipient,” said Lopez, currently a senior at Carpinteria High School. “Girls Inc. has helped me understand the importance of taking a leadership role and I would not be who I am today if it wasn’t for everything Girls Inc. has instilled in me over the last 14 years. My experiences here have been life-changing.”
Lopez plans to attend Santa Barbara City College in the fall and ultimately transfer to UCSB. In addition to graphic design, Lopez also plans to study photography and journalism.
“I want to be able to expose the significance that girls and women around the world possess and help break the mold of false image that society has placed on the minds of so many young girls,” she said.
Since 1993, Girls Inc. has awarded more than $4.6 million in scholarships, making higher education a reality for hundreds of high school girls across the United States and Canada. Scholarships are awarded annually and are open to Girls Inc. participants in the 11th and 12th grades. Lopez’s scholarship is awarded through The Pearl Fund, established in 2013 by fashion designer Georgina Chapman and JCPenney in partnership with Girls Inc.
Moses Mora. Courtesy photo
VENTURA — Moses Mora is stepping down as the chair of the board of the Bell Arts Factory in Ventura, the organization reported in a media release. Mora will continue to serve on the board of directors as treasurer.
“It is with much appreciation that we honor and thank Moses Mora for his service to the Bell Arts Factory,” the organization reported. “Mora also manages our community room rentals, as well as public engagements on behalf of the Bell Arts Factory. He is a respected and sought-out leader in the Ventura art scene as well as the unofficial westside historian. From the Tortilla Flats Mural Project to the Vietnam show, ‘From Hell to Healing,’ Moses’ dedication to art that matters and art that inspires is what makes him one of a kind. Bell Arts Factory is thankful that Moses will continue as an active board member and a vital part of BAF’s growth and day-to-day management.”
SANTA BARBARA — A reception to celebrate the Mexican Studies / Estudios Mexicanos journal at UCSB will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, March 2 at the Mosher Alumni House, Living Room at UCSB.
Ruth Hellier-Tinoco will host a reception to inaugurate the presence at UC Santa Barbara of the editorial office of renowned journal Mexican Studies / Estudios Mexicanos.
Founded in 1984, Mexican Studies / Estudios Mexicanos is a collaborative venture between the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States (UCMEXUS), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and UC Press, and provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of cutting-edge multidisciplinary research relating to Mexican studies broadly defined. With Executive Vice Chancellor David Marshall, Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Academic Policy Maria Herrera-Sobek and Vice Chancellor for Research Michael Witherall in attendance, and faculty from UNAM and UC campuses, UCSB faculty and staff invites the community to celebrate and welcome this prestigious international journal to campus, officials reported.
Click here for more information.
Community Forum. Courtesy photo
OXNARD — The Community Forum Committee and the City of Oxnard will present the Community Forum from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5 at the Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center, Oxnard Room, 800 Hobson Way, from 5:30 ti 8:30 p.m.
The forum is designed to enhance trust and build community priorities. Participate with residents and community leaders to consider ways to shape the future of Oxnard, officials reported in a media release.
Take advantage of the opportunity to discuss concerns and share insights and suggestions for achieving community trust with a panel comprised of community members and city officials.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage in one-on-one conversations with city officials and staff regarding issues of concern and to vote on community priorities to set the city on the path to success.
The event is open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Bring family and friends and join the discussion and be part of the solution, officials reported.
CAMARILLO — “From Harvest to Home,” the House Farm Workers 10th anniversary Summit, will be held from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 20 at the Ventura County Office of Education, 5100 Adolfo Road, Camarillo. Organizers report attendees will:
• Learn how agriculture and its workforce have changed since the first summit in 2004 Hear about opportunities from visionary and practical leaders
• Share ideas with others in the community
• Craft goals and strategies to increase the supply of decent and affordable farm worker homes.
Featured speakers include David J. Erickson, director of the Center for Community Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; Rob Weiner, executive director of the California Coalition for Rural Housing; John Krist, chief executive officer of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County; Karen Flock, real estate development director for Cabrillo Economic Development Corp.; Yissel Barajas, vice president of Human Resources for Reiter Affiliated Companies, and Chris Stephens, director of the Ventura County Resource Management Agency. Seating is limited and tickets must be purchased online in advance. Tickets are $20 each if purchased on or before March 10, and include continental breakfast and lunch. Beginning March 11, the price increases to $30. Visit http://www.housefarmworkers.org/HFW%21/Events.html for more information.
SANTA BARBARA — Dolores Huerta will be the keynote speaker at the Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy CAUSE Action Fund annual dinner and silent auction from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 19 at the Cabrillo Pavilion Arts Center, 1118 E.Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara. The cost is $50 per person (early bird), $60 per person (after April 1). Click here to RSVP. Call 805-658-0810, ext. 210 for more information.
OXNARD — El Concilio Family Services will present its 2015 Latino Leadership Awards Banquet on Saturday, June 6 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 S. Hobson Way, Oxnard. More details to come. Visit http://www.elconciliofs.org/lla.html for the latest information.