California State University, Stanislaus honored this year’s recipients of the Mary Stuart Rogers Scholarship during a luncheon on campus Monday, formally recognizing a group of 43 students who have demonstrated strong academic performance along with a commitment to personal growth and a desire to serve others.
More than 500 students — known as Rogers Scholars — have received the scholarship since its inception in 1991. The program awards scholarships of $3,000 to undergraduates and $3,500 to students in teaching credential programs at CSU Stanislaus.
This year’s group of Rogers Scholars — 33 undergraduates and 10 credential students — include many who have overcome significant adversity before and during their academic journeys. Among them are:
- Michael Khoshaba, who grew up in war-torn Iraq and moved with his family to the United States at the age of 11. He excelled in high school, graduating with a year’s worth of college credits, and he plans to go on to a career as a human resource specialist in the public sector.
- Evelyn Miramontes, who survived major health issues and a fire that destroyed her family’s home, then graduated magna cum laude with a liberal studies degree from CSU Stanislaus in 2013. Now pursuing her educational specialist and multiple subject teaching credentials concurrently, she hopes to become a special education teacher or a resource specialist working with at-risk students.
- Qiaomin Mai, who grew up in China and, as a 6-year-old, cared for her baby brother while her parents were working. She went on to graduate from college in China, then moved to the U.S. in 2001 and is now nearing her bachelor’s degree in accounting at CSU Stanislaus.
Monday’s luncheon featured introductions by CSU Stanislaus President Joseph F. Sheley and Provost James T. Strong and was attended by donor John Rogers and his daughter, Janet. Since being founded by the late Mary Stuart Rogers, the scholarship program has awarded more than $2.9 million to CSU Stanislaus students. The Rogers family and the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation have been strong supporters of CSU Stanislaus over the years, with gifts that funded the Mary Stuart Rogers Educational Services Gateway Building and the John Stuart Rogers Faculty Development Center, where the Rogers Scholars luncheon was held.
This year’s undergraduate recipients are: Haider Al-Kaabi, Ceres; Gerardo Alva Chavez, Coachella; Claudia Anguiano, Manteca; Rachel Barfield, Oakdale; Ashlee Bryant, Modesto; Bradley Bucknell, Modesto; Ashley Cole, Turlock; Pamela Cuneo, Sonora; Daniel De La Cruz, Stockton; Jennifer Egenberger, Modesto; Luis Garcia, Modesto; Shaun Gephart, Modesto; Lindsie Hartwick, Menifee; Lucia Jaime-Duran, Turlock; Keyomi Jones, Merced; James Kelleher, Turlock; Michael Khoshaba, Modesto; Jenny Lee, Merced; Venus Lopez, Modesto; Qiaomin Mai, Mountain House; James Moak, Modesto; Laura Palomera-Gomez, Modesto; Chris Robertson, Atwater; Mayra Rojas, Escalon; Brandi Ta’amai, Merced; Cristal Tadeo, Woodlake; Jeannie Tran, Stockton; Christine Valenti, Turlock; Cheng Vang, Stockton; Riana Von Gunten, Delhi; Spencer Voss, Denair; and Florinda Yurivilca, Modesto.
Recipients from the teaching credential program are: Vanessa Brazil, Merced; Brandon Diniz, Atwater; Miriam Espinosa Orozco, Atwater; Bertha Garibay-Hernandez, Atwater; Ashli Hall, Modesto; Lisa Maldonado, Turlock; Bonnie McLafferty, Ceres; Evelyn Miramontes, Stockton; Ileana Treyes, Atwater; and Beth Wheeler, Tracy.