Hispanic Tri-Cities students receive $178K in scholarships. See the list of winners

Larissa Babiak
·6 min read

The Hispanic Academic Achievers Program (HAAP) awarded $178,000 in scholarships to 40 local high school seniors at its annual award ceremony in Kennewick.

Pasco High School senior Brenda Madrigal Garcia received the $20,000 Heritage Scholarship, renewable for two years. She also will receive her associate’s degree from Columbia Basin College this year and has plans to pursue a career in elementary education at Heritage University.

To be eligible for HAAP scholarships, seniors must be enrolled in a public or private school in either Connell, Finley, Kennewick, Pasco or Richland, and have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher by the end of the first semester of their senior year.

2024 HAAP Scholars

  • Odalis Ambriz, Kennewick High School, $12,000 Sue Frost Scholarship. She plans to attend Washington State University-Tri-Cities where she will pursue a bachelor’s in education.

  • Diego Olivera, Kennewick High School, $10,000 Fiesta Foods Scholarship. He plans to attend the University of Washington where he plans to major in engineering/chemistry.

  • Brenda Madrigal Garcia, Pasco High School, $20,000 Heritage Scholarship (renewable two years for $40,000). She plans to attend Heritage University Tri-Cities to study elementary education.

  • Camila Gonzalez Mendez, Connell High School, $8,000 Sue Frost Scholarship. She plans to attend Washington State University-Pullman to study nursing and diagnostic sonography.

  • Ayline Maqueda Flore, Kennewick High School, $7,500 Key Bank Scholarship. One of this year’s valedictorians, she plans to get a degree in collision repair at Columbia Basin College.

  • Kimberly Paloma Joya Manzanares, Pasco High School, $7,500 Key Bank Scholarship. She plans to attend the University of Washington to pursue a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

  • Samantha Quintana, Tri-Cities Prep, $7,000 Gonzaga Scholarship (renewable four years for $28,000). She plans to attend Gonzaga University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in finance.

  • Raquel Villasenor Garcia, Pasco High School, $7,000 Gonzaga Scholarship (renewable four years for $28,000). She plans to attend Gonzaga University as a pre-med major.

  • Jackelin Izelle Martinez, Tri-Cities Prep, $7,000 Gonzaga Scholarship (renewable four years for $28,000). She plans to attend Gonzaga University to study biology.

  • Briana Sanchez, Chiawana High School, $3,750 Columbia Basin College Scholarship. She plans to continue her studies at Columbia Basin College and apply for the nursing program.

  • Katelyn Mora, Kennewick High School, $3,750 Columbia Basin College Scholarship. She plans to attend Columbia Basin College, where she will pursue a degree in business and accounting.

  • Matthew Duran, Pasco High School, $2,500 Columbia Basin College Scholarship. He plans to attend Columbia Basin College, to study computer science and minor in programming.

  • Luciano Andres Flores Barrios, Kamiakin High School, $3,750 Columbia Basin College Scholarship. He plans to attend Columbia Basin College and eventually transfer to Washington State University to study engineering.

  • Alejandro Salas Castellanos, Connell High School, $5,000 HAAP Scholarship. He plans to attend the University of Washington to study history and minor in political science.

  • Iahly Rugama Cruz, Pasco High School, $5,000 HAAP Scholarship. She plans to attend Columbia Basin College to study business.

  • Jorge Gaytan Garcia, Connell High School, $4,000 HAAP Scholarship. He plans to attend Washington State University-Pullman, to study nursing.

  • Abigail Aguirre Diaz, Pasco High School, $4,000 HAAP Scholarship. She plans to finish her AA degree at Columbia Basin College and transfer to Washington State University-Tri-Cities to study digital technology and culture with a minor in psychology.

  • Esmeralda Munguia Michel, Chiawana High School, $3,750 Washington State University-Tri-Cities Scholarship. She plans to attend Washington State University Tri-Cities to study digital technology and culture.

  • Ashley Bello, Pasco High School, $3,750 Washington State University-Tri-Cities Scholarship. She plans to attend Washington State University - Tri-Cities to study nursing.

  • Jared de La Fuente, Pasco High School, $3,750 Washington State University-Tri-Cities Scholarship. He plans to attend Washington State University-Tri-Cities to study psychology.

  • Jose Luis Pantoja, Chiawana High School, $3,750 Washington State University-Tri-Cities Scholarship. He plans to attend Washington State University-Tri-Cities to study cybersecurity.

  • Christian Jovanny Santiago Moran, Connell High School, $3,000 Lenwood Farms Scholarship. He plans to attend Western Governors University to study computer science.

  • Irlanda Garcia Rivera, Pasco High School, $1,500 Tri-Cities Engineering Scholarship (renewable two years for $3,000). She will be attending the University of Washington, where she will major in chemistry.

  • Jose Muniz, Chiawana High School, $3,000 HAAP Scholarship. He plans to attend Washington State University-Tri-Cities to study accounting.

  • Andrea Guzman, Chiawana High School, $3,000 HAAP Scholarship. She plans to attend Washington State University-Tri-Cities, to study computer science and cybersecurity.

  • Esbeidy López Carmona, Pasco High School,$3,000 HAAP Scholarship. She plans to attend the University of Washington to study education to teach math.

  • (Naveah) Remi Villarreal, Delta High School, $2,500 Central Washington University Scholarship (renewable four years for $10,000). They will attend Central Washington University to major in Spanish and education with the goal of becoming a teacher.

  • Lilianna Arquette, Richland High School, $2,500 Central Washington University Scholarship (renewable four years for $10,000). Liliana plans to attend Central Washington University, to study art education.

  • Sophia Diaz, Richland High School, $2,500 Central Washington University Scholarship (renewable four years for $10,000). She will attend Central Washington University, to study secondary education with a minor in science.

  • Jasmine Mendoza Gil, Pasco High School, $2,000 Eastern Washington University Scholarship. She plans to attend Eastern Washington University to pursue a degree in communication sciences and disorders, with a minor in Spanish to help her prepare for a graduate program in speech-language pathology.

  • Jose Angel Mendoza Gomez, Hanford High School, $2,000 Eastern Washington University Scholarship. He plans to attend Eastern Washington University in the fall to study nursing.

  • Brandon Medina, Pasco High School, $2,500 Hanford Mission Integration Solutions. He plans to attend the University of Washington to study mechanical engineering.

  • Sofia Rico, Southridge High School, $2,500 Hanford Mission Integration Solutions. She plans to attend Columbia Basin College, where she will pursue a degree in nursing. Sofia will be graduating as one of the valedictorians of Southridge High and only the second-ever Hispanic valedictorian at her high school.

  • Allison Therson, Richland High School, $2,500 Gesa Scholarship. A valedictorian, she plans to attend the University of Washington to study political science. Her goal is to attend law school.

  • Maria Martinez Castro, Chiawana High School, $2,500 HAPO Scholarship. She plans to continue her studies at Columbia Basin College to pursue a degree in the medical field.

  • Jenny Arenas, Hanford High School, $2,500 Community First Bank Scholarship. She plans to attend Whitworth University, where she intends to study dentistry.

  • Vanessa Iniguez Mejia, Chiawana High School, $2,000 Tri-City Latin American Association. She plans to attend Washington State University-Tri-Cities to study biological sciences.

  • Adryen Valdez, Connell High School, $1,750 HAAP Scholarship. He plans to attend Washington State University-Pullman to study computer engineering.

  • Isaac Alexander Hernandez, Pasco High School, $1,750 HAAP Scholarship. He plans to attend Washington State University-Pullman to study accounting.

  • Jessica Bautista, Connell High School, $1,000 Tri-Cities LULAC Scholarship. She plans to attend the University of Washington to pursue a bachelor’s in nursing.