Mary Stuart Rogers Scholars show determination, academic excellence

Recipients of the 2009-10 scholarship awards were congratulated by John and June Rogers of the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation at an October 30 reception and dinner program on the CSU Stanislaus campus. This year’s group includes nine graduate and 15 undergraduate students who have demonstrated academic talent and skills that place them at the top of their classes.

Many of their life’s stories are filled with determined motivation to succeed and inspiration.

• Helen Arguelles Gudino of Hughson has won 15 scholarship awards and excelled academically as a college student since dropping out of high school at the age of 17 as a young mother.
• Laurie Bahia of Merced is a computer lab coordinator at an elementary school, teaching technology to students and volunteering as a volleyball, soccer, and basketball coach while also working a part-time job at the Merced County Sheriff’s Office.
• Sherry Butman of Manteca educated all five of her children at home and then decided to join them in college and has excelled as an honors student at CSU Stanislaus. Having determinedly overcome a homeless situation at one point in her life, Butman has set her sights on eventually teaching at the university level.
• Jennifer Duong of San Jose, the only child of Vietnamese immigrants who plans to become a family nurse practitioner, will be the first member of her family to graduate from college.
• Martha Fuentes of Livingston came to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 14 and is focusing on becoming a dual language teacher. An honors student, she wants to help students who experienced what she did as a youngster achieve their dreams through education. She works for California Mini-Corps at CSU Stanislaus, a program that tutors migrant students.
• Peiman Hojjatijou of Patterson, a native of Iran who moved to the U.S. several years ago, earned his Mathematics degree as an honors student at CSU Stanislaus where he is completing the teaching credential program.
• Quratulain Qazi of Tracy, a native of Pakistan, is a Business Administration major and President of the CSU Stanislaus Muslim Students Association who plans to start a non-profit charitable organization in Tracy.
• Bibiana Sandoval of Turlock is one of nine children whose mother, an immigrant to the U.S. from Mexico as a teenager, worked tirelessly in the fields and canneries to support her family. The daughter of a Vietnam veteran father who died shortly after her birth, Sandoval has excelled as an honors student and is near her goal of becoming a multilingual teacher.

The Rogers Scholarships go to high-achieving upper-division undergraduate students and Teaching Credential program students at CSU Stanislaus. Since being founded in 1991 by the late Mary Stuart Rogers, the program has awarded more than $2.5 million in scholarships and specially engraved rings to more than 400 CSU Stanislaus students. Teaching Credential graduate students receive $3,500 annual scholarships and undergraduate recipients are awarded $3,000 each year.

This year’s recipients include:

• Martha Duran of Atwater, a Teaching Credential graduate student
• Korinna De La Rosa of Kingsburg, a Nursing undergraduate student
• Helen Arguelles Gudino of Hughson, an English undergraduate student
• Martha Angelica Fuentes of Livingston, a Teaching Credential graduate student
• Sherry Gail Butman of Manteca, an English and Communication Studies undergraduate student
• Laurie Baria of Merced, a Liberal Studies undergraduate student
• Hamde Farha of Merced, a Teaching Credential graduate student
• Isaac Farhadian of Modesto, a History and Political Science undergraduate student
• Rachel Grider of Modesto, a Music undergraduate student
• Miles Polley of Modesto, a Teaching Credential graduate student
• Austin Wilhoit of Modesto, a Teaching Credential graduate student
• Courtney Hannink of Oakdale, a Business Administration graduate student
• Nathan Lallas of Oakley, a Business Administration undergraduate student
• Quratulain Qazi of Tracy, a Business Administration undergraduate student
• Peiman Hojjatijou of Patterson and a native of Iran, a Teaching Credential graduate student
• Ana Maria Garnica of Riverbank, a Teaching Credential graduate student
• Jennifer Nguyen of Riverbank, a Chemistry undergraduate student
• Jennifer Duong of San Jose, a Nursing undergraduate student
• Theresa Albright Rogers of San Jose, a Public Administration graduate student Adrina Gabriel of Turlock, a Business undergraduate student
• Adrielle Kent of Turlock, an Art History undergraduate student
• Jean’Ann Miller of Turlock, a Teaching Credential graduate student
• Elicia Padlo of Turlock, a Business Administration undergraduate student
• Bibiana Cristina Sandoval of Turlock, an Education graduate student