Four Carpinteria Students Win Scholarships from Girls Inc. National Scholars Program

Source: Girls Inc.

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria announced that four of its members have been selected as 2021 scholarship recipients through the competitive Girls Inc. National Scholar Program and will receive a total of $30,500. Girls Inc. of Carpinteria boasts a total of 40 national scholarships awarded to 34 of the organization’s girls, with a total of $259,000 awarded to the local affiliate since 1995.

Each year, the Girls Inc. National Scholars Program awards high school girls across the U.S. with scholarships for educational expenses at any accredited college or university. Carpinteria High students Isa Alarcon ($20,000), Laura Flores ($5,000) and Briana Rodriguez ($5,000) were one of 30 high school students hand-selected from a pool of 100 national applicants to receive scholarships and the prestigious National Scholar recognition.

The program selects outstanding young women for exemplifying the Girls Inc. mission of inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Recipients are role models for other girls who demonstrate a commitment to achieving academically and serving their communities.

“We are thrilled that all of our 2021 National Scholar applicants received this well-deserved recognition,” said Jamie Collins, executive director at Girls Inc. of Carpinteria. “These young girls are incredible young leaders and role models in their own right – and are already changing their communities for the better. We are proud to be developing the next generation of female leaders at Girls Inc. of Carpinteria and look forward to seeing what these girls will achieve next.”

Alarcon, a high school senior, is co-founder of the local chapter of Diversify our Narrative, where she helped implement a new Multicultural Literature class. She also sits on the Youth Making Change Board, serves as vice president of Celebrating Adversity, Diversity, and Education (CADE) and Associated Student Body (ASB) senior class president, and is a tri-athlete at Carpinteria High. She has been accepted to 14 universities so far and plans to attend New York University to pursue a degree in criminology.       

“I am beyond honored to be recognized as a Girls Inc. National Scholar,” said Alarcon, who received a $20,000 scholarship. “I have been involved with Girls Inc. since the seventh grade and at that time, Girls Inc. was my safe space – playing a vital role in improving my mental health and encouraging me to pursue my career and academic goals. My intent growing up was always to become a role model and inspire my younger cousins, so I appreciate this award greatly knowing that I am impacting girls and women all around me.”

Flores, also a senior, was recently appointed to the Girls Inc. National Teen Advocacy Council. Now a two-time Girls Inc. National Scholar, Flores is co-founder of the local chapter of Diversify our Narrative, serves as ASB Vice President, is a leader in the CADE club where she works to advance diversity and inclusion in the district’s schools, and is active in AVID and Link Clubs. She plans to attend Cal Lutheran University to pursue a degree in education.

Rodriguez, a junior, is a member of the volleyball, water polo and swim teams, ASB, and previously volunteered for the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation. A childhood cancer survivor, she has been able to share her experience with other families and pay it forward for the support she once received. Rodriguez fell in love with engineering through Girls Inc.’s Eureka Program and hopes to be a biomedical engineer.

Additionally, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria member Dulce Perez was awarded the Girls Inc. National 8th Grade Scholarship. Perez was one of 10 Girls Inc. members nationally to score the recognition and a $500 scholarship from a pool of 26 eligible eighth-grade applications.

Perez first joined Girls Inc. in kindergarten and has gone on to be an active member of the organization’s programs for nearly a decade, most recently joining the Eureka Program. She is a two-time speaker at the nonprofit’s largest annual fundraiser, An Evening in Bloom, which shined a light on her public speaking skills, and continues to serve as a role model to her peers.

“All the elements they don’t teach us in school, Girls Inc. fills in the gaps,” said Perez. “Even the little things Girls Inc. does for me are such a gift. Because of Girls Inc. and Eureka, I know that I will have a bright future.”

For more information about Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, call 805-684-6364 or visit www.girlsinc-carp.org.