Tri-City student earns $80k scholarship. Read the full list of Hispanic Achievers winners

The Hispanic Academic Achievers Program awarded a historic amount in scholarships Friday night at its annual ceremony in Kennewick.

Thirty-two Mid-Columbia seniors graduating this spring received scholarships valued at a total $213,000 — nearly triple the amount awarded in 2022.

And Kamiakin High School senior Vanessa Anguiano was awarded a full-ride scholarship worth $80,000. She plans to attend Heritage University this fall to study nursing.

“Every year we’re fortunate to get over 100 students that apply for HAAP scholarships, and this year was no different,” said HAAP Chairman Frank Armijo.

“We’re excited about the students that we were able to provide scholarships to this year. They’re quite diverse in the types of careers they want to pursue, and we’re extremely thankful to our sponsors, our colleges and university partners that this year we’re going to be able to award the largest amount of scholarships that we have ever in our 34-year history,” he said.

Like several of her fellow scholarship recipients, Anguiano’s academic journey is unique, and she had to work hard to overcome adversity. The daughter of Mexican immigrants will be a first-generation college student.

Child Protective Services separated Anguiano and her siblings from their parents when she was just 7. After eight months, despite being an American citizen, she went to live with her father in Mexico while her mother stayed in the U.S. to receive mental health treatment.

There, she learned to navigate the education system, care for her siblings, maintain academic excellence and care for her paternal grandmother, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis.

Nine years later — with no knowledge of English or the U.S. school system — Anguiano returned to the Tri-Cities to live with a former foster family and she flourished.

She is an active member of the Achieving Leadership with All Students and a Link Crew member at Kamiakin High School.

Because of her family’s experience, Anguiano says she wants to advocate for mental health solutions in the Hispanic community and pursue a nursing degree.

“We’re so grateful for the HAAP scholarships that support outstanding students like Vanessa to pursue higher education,” Kennewick Superintendent Traci Pierce said in a prepared statement. “Vanessa has challenged herself by choosing to take advanced classes and engage in the most rigorous coursework during her high school experience. She exemplifies what the HAAP scholarship awards are all about.”

In order to be eligible for HAAP scholarships, seniors must be enrolled in a public or private school in either Burbank, 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.

HAAP also recognized 8,180 honor students with certificates this year, who are in grades 4th through 12th.

Several senior scholarship recipients have received honors from HAAP since they were in 4th grade.

Senior scholarship winners

• Vanessa Anguiano, Kamiakin High School, $80,000 full-ride scholarship from Heritage University. She plans to study nursing.

• Omar Pantoja, Chiawana High School, $12,500 scholarship sponsored by Group Health. A valedictorian, Pantoja will attend Washington State University in Pullman with plans to conduct research at the U.S.’s only cryogenic hydrogen laboratory.

• Daniela Rojas, Chiawana High School, $10,000 scholarship sponsored by Central Washington University. She plans to study aviation management and continue her studies in the Japanese language.

• Aaron Sanchez, Chiawana High School, $10,000 scholarship sponsored by CWU. He will attend the university with plans to study computer science.

• Hailee Mendez, Chiawana High School, $10,000 scholarship sponsored by CWU. She will graduate with her associate’s degree from Columbia Basin College, and attend the university to study elementary education and obtain a master’s through a principal-administrations program.

• Carola Garcia-Mendez, Pasco High School, $7,500 scholarship sponsored by Fiesta Foods. She will graduate with her associate’s from CBC, and plans to attend WSU to pursue a degree in biology with hopes to work in the veterinary field.

• Kazandra Gomez, Connell High School, $7,500 scholarship sponsored by Sue and Dan Frost. She will graduate with her associate’s degree from CBC, and plans to attend WSU to pursue a degree in education to become a math teacher.

• Noemi Aguilar, Connell High School, $6,000 scholarship. She plans to attend the University of Washington to pursue a nursing degree, hoping to work in a neonatal intensive care unit.

• Jholyn Campos, Kennewick High School, $4,000 scholarship sponsored by the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He will graduate with his associate’s degree from CBC and plans to attend WSU in Pullman to pursue a computer science degree to become a software engineer.

• Emma Rodriguez, Kennewick High School, $4,000 scholarship sponsored by Hanford Mission Integration Solutions. She plans to pursue a degree in political science with a goal to work as a lawyer.

• Pedro Morales, River View High School, $1,500 scholarship from Tri-Cities Engineering, with an additional $1,500 pending good academic standing. He will graduatewith an associate’s degree from CBC and plans to pursue a mechanical engineering degree at WSU in Pullman.

• Carmen Calvo, Connell High School, $3,000 annual scholarship renewable for up to $12,000 sponsored by Eastern Washington University. She will attend the university with plans to pursue a career in dental hygiene.

• Paulina Mariah Torres, Pasco High School, $1,000 annual scholarship renewable for up to $4,000 sponsored by Eastern Washington University. She will attend the university and pursue a degree in education.

• Anais Diaz, Tri-Cities Prep Catholic High School, $3,000 scholarship sponsored by Lenwood Farms. She will attend Arizona State University with plans to pursue a degree in early childhood education.

• Jose Linares, Chiawana High School, $3,000 scholarship sponsored by Sue and Dan Frost. He will graduate this spring with an associate’s degree from CBC, and attend the UW to pursue a bachelor’s in nursing.

• Mayreli Fuentes, Connell High School, $3,000 scholarship sponsored by CBC. She will attend CBC to pursue a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.

• David Ramirez Osorio, Kennewick High School, $3,000 scholarship sponsored by CBC. He will attend CBC with plans to pursue a career in architecture.

• Yolia Sanchez, Kamiakin High School, $3,000 scholarship from CBC. She plans to pursue a degree at CBC in forensic pathology.

• Patricia Garcia Coria, Kennewick High School, $3,000 scholarship sponsored by CBC. She plans to attend WSU Tri-Cities for civil engineering.

• Michelle Gonzalez-Garcia, Kennewick High School, $3,000 scholarship sponsored by CBC. She plans to attend CBC and then Eastern Washington University to pursue a career as a Spanish teacher.

• Jennifer Sanchez Nunez, Chiawana High School, $2,500 scholarship sponsored by WSU. She plans to attend classes at the university’s Tri-Cities campus for a degree in nursing.

• Alvaro Rodriguez Jr., Southridge High School, $2,500 scholarship sponsored by WSU. He plans to attend WSU Tri-Cities to study education.

• Edgar Meza Badillo, Pasco High School, $2,500 scholarship sponsored by Community First Bank HFG Trust. He will also graduate with an associate’s degree from CBC. He plans to attend UW for computer engineering.

• Diana Lopez-Hernandez, Pasco High School, $2,500 scholarship sponsored by Gesa Credit Union. She will attend UW to become a dentist.

• Nancy Martinez, Connell High School, $2,500 scholarship sponsored by HAPO Credit Union. She plans to attend WSU Tri-Cities for nursing.

• Isabel Therson, Richland High School, was awarded a $2,500 scholarship sponsored by Tyson Foods. She will attend UW for pre-medicine track in hopes of becoming a pediatrician.

• Janelle Torres, Chiawana High School, $2,500 scholarship sponsored by Fiesta Foods. She will attend WSU Tri-Cities to study biology.

• Raul Yael Martinez Castro, Chiawana High School, $2,000 scholarship from HAAP. He will graduate with an associate’s degree from CBC, and plans to attend WSU Tri-Cities to study computer science.

• Dulce Gonzalez, Pasco High School, $2,000 scholarship from HAAP. She plans to attend CBC to study education.

• Kiera Lagunas, Connell High School, $1,000 scholarship sponsored by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She plans to attend Brigham Young University to study sociology.

• Matthew Mercado, Tri-Cities Prep Catholic High School, $1,000 scholarship from HAAP. He plans to attend San Diego State University to study finance.

• Joselyn Orea-Velasco, Southridge High School, $1,000 scholarship from HAAP. She plans to attend UW to study dental hygiene.