“I am immensely grateful to have been granted the scholarship alongside other recipients. It will allow for me to stay debt free at the University of California, Berkeley! The mentors are a great way for me to have someone I can count on as I embark a new journey in my life. This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my donors. Thank you for selecting me. I will be making hope happen in my future as I hope one day to return back to my community to do the same.”

“The Making Hope Happen Foundation is allowing me to go to college and purse my dreams. So thank you once again I appreciate everyone for the continuous support.”

“I feel blessed and grateful to receive the scholarship I did! The gracious donors who gave me this privilege allowed me to place more hope in my dreams. Thank you.”

“Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. I am so grateful for giving me this honor. I will do my best in college and not disappoint you. I’m getting one step closer to my dreams. Receiving this scholarship is a great honor since only nine people from my school were awarded. It has given me lots of joy since I was able to earn this scholarship. So far, it is one of my greatest scholarships! Thank you.”

“I am very proud and honored to win this scholarship. I am blessed because I can use this scholarship all towards my education and future. I am overjoyed! Thank you so much.”

“I am honored to be one of the recipients of the Making Hope Happen scholarship. I would like to thank you for helping me to achieve my educational and career goals. With this opportunity that you have invested in me, I will be able to focus more on my goals. My goal is to take a Phlebotomy Certificate Program and get my state license. I have enjoyed working in the medical field and believe that I have a gift for working with people. Once again, I would like to give you my sincerest thanks for giving me this opportunity. I promise that your investment is well placed. I hope that in the future, I will be in a position to help others, just as you have done for me.”

This scholarship has impacted my life emotionally, physically and mentally. The Making Hope Happen Foundation has not only blessed me in giving me such an amazing scholarship, but has given me the motivation I need in believing that I am no different than any other individual out there working for a better life. Due to my life being filled with hard obstacles I went from running away from home to being driven under the influence of drugs and alcohol. I want to thank The Making Hope Happen Foundation for believing in me—even throughout all my faults and for giving me the opportunity to be successful throughout my nursing career. Thank you so much!”

“The Making Hope Happen Foundation has impacted my life by creating new pathways for me to reach my ultimate goal. That is to advance in my education and achieve success by changing my community the way they have changed me. Thank you for this opportunity again. I’m very grateful.”

“Receiving this scholarship made me feel grateful because now I know there are people out there that want to see me further my education. They impacted my life to the point where I’m looking forward to donating a scholarship to a graduate in the future.”

“I feel honored to have received the scholarship because not only do they think I’m worthy of investing in to but of the deep historical meaning that the scholarship brought to my life.”

“I am very thankful and honored for the scholarship. I come from a low income family so any money is truly a blessing. I was excited to hear that I was one of the students receiving one!”

“Receiving this scholarship has given me some peace in mind. I am about to go to college and I will have to take out loans but with this scholarship I am able to get less loans!!!”

“My college experience has been great so far as I have learned a lot about myself. I have met a lot of people with the same interests as me and I have actually made friends with many who also want to become a teacher. I knew college was going to be different, but it is nice to actually be experiencing it myself.”

“The donors have impacted me immensely. Without them, I would not have the opportunity to become a first generation college student and pursue all of the dreams my parents wish they could have. I am a walking example of making hope happen and for that, I thank them.”

“Receiving this scholarship has impacted my life in so many ways. It helped me financially and it boosted my confidence. Receiving this scholarship also allowed me to pursue my goals in secondary education. If it was not for this scholarship I would not have been able to attend the university of my choice.”

“Being in college has taught me a lot about myself. I strive to graduate in 5 years with my credentials but overall I would like to meet new people, challenge myself and of course learn new things about myself.”

“College has been the complete opposite of what I expected. I expected to be running wild because I had no rules. Ironically enough, I have become a more independent, responsible, and sensible young woman. I know where hard work comes from and because of that I take nothing for granted. My schedules are rough, but manageable, if that makes sense. I’ve never felt more tired, yet alive in my almost 19 years of life. College has been a place where I got to express myself; to meet new people and create the unforgettable memories I have. I didn’t think going to lectures and discussions would bring me the much joy it did, and I am thankful for the opportunity of attending UCR. Living in a diverse place, eating diverse food, and taking diverse classes would’ve never been possible without the foundation giving me hope. Hope has been the motto I go by and I got to say it’s working. I have successfully finished the first quarter of my new life. I have made my mother proud and I have become an inspiration for my siblings. My college experience so far has been full of HOPE, so thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

“I am thankful for the opportunity from the Making Hope Happen foundation and its distinguished donors. This scholarship greatly supports my education. This scholarship opens many doors towards my education, I don’t have to worry about not having sufficient funds to support myself which has made my overall achievement possible. Thanks to the scholarship that I received, I will be able to take all my classes to graduate on time and have the rewarding experience to study abroad in Spain to gain more skills that will positively impact my career. I hope that you continue helping future college students because it definitely helps take away the burden of paying for college. Thank you again for investing, supporting, and motivating my education. It will help me have the strength to be successful in my career.”

“I am Benjamin Montelongo, a student at San Bernardino Valley College. In my short time at Valley College I have been able to work towards and/or accomplish a number of projects which have been able to assist the larger community. I currently am maintaining a 4.0 GPA and with the Making Hope Happen Foundation’s help I feel like I can continue to thrive!”

“What I look forward to on my new educational journey is experiencing the college curriculum. I also look forward to achieving many things I didn’t think I could achieve before. Lastly, I’m looking forward to seeing how drastically my life is going to change with my career.”

“Being a first generation college student and coming from a low income household, I knew that financial assistance was a necessity if I wanted to pursue a higher education. Being a recipient of the Heroes for Hope Scholarship is something that has made my college experience easier since it has helped me reduce financial concerns and allows me to put more time and focus on my academics. I have not stressed about loans and my family has not felt a financial burden by having me attend university. Having the opportunity to fulfill my academic goals in UC Irvine was something I could only dream of before, but now this dream is a reality and it has been in part thanks to the Making Hope Happen Foundation.”

“The biggest lesson that I’ve learned through my transition to UCLA has been to not be afraid to reach out for help. The professors here will not hold your hand and reach out to you. It is totally up to me to go seek out the help I need and take advantage of various programs that will benefit me. Also, the quarter system is no joke. I learned to never fall behind in work and studying. I didn’t expect to love UCLA so much. I’ve made so many amazing friends here and experienced so much in just one quarter. UCLA was difficult, but I loved every second of it. Being at UCLA has taught me responsibility, perseverance and leadership skills. I am finally taking classes that interest me and I’ve learned so much in my classes. I actually can’t wait to go back to school next quarter.”

“The transition from high school to college has been one of the toughest things I have ever been through. It’s sad to say that I was not 100% prepared for college. But with the help of my mom and friends, I’ve managed to finish my first quarter strong. Although college may be difficult right now, I know that in the end, it’ll all be worth it.”

The Making Hope Happen Foundation has made me ecstatic for what’s to come. I am very excited to see what’s in store for the future, and with the help of your scholarship, I was able to fully pay for my first semester of college at the University of Redlands. When I applied and became a recipient of the Making Hope Happen Scholarship, my dream of becoming a teacher in the San Bernardino County Unified School District was 3 steps closer. Not only was I able to afford my first semester, but I also received helpful mentoring along the way in preparation of the changes to come. Because of the tremendous help I received as part of this foundation, I ended my first semester with 17 units and a 3.86 GPA.”

“Thanks to the donors of Making Hope Happen Foundation, I walked into college without an insecurity of paying for my tuition or books that I need in order to have a successful future. I attend Cal Poly Pomona and I will graduate at the age of 20 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Social Work. My college experience had a rough start, due to losing a close family member, but I did not let my GPA down. My first year here has been a roller coaster, but I can assure you, the investment that was made toward my education will be worth it. I will become a donor in the future to this foundation because I know it will make a difference.”

“The Making Hope Happen Foundation has helped me in many ways from school expenses to personal expenses. Going to college is paying books, tuition, transportation, food, and school supplies. College can be really expensive for a low-income student as well first generation student. And having the privilege of the Making Hope Happen Scholarship has helped me pay those college expenses. Not only has it helped financially, but also by providing me with a mentor that guides me through college. I’m grateful for the opportunity that was given to me. I hope that Making Hope Happen Foundation can grow and keep helping others students like they have helped me. Thank you for the donors that have made possible for the Making Hope Happen Foundation that have helped me and others students.”

“My name is Pamela Cardenas I’m currently attending UCSB. College has been an amazing experience and I am extremely thankful that the scholarship I received has allowed me to live these experiences. I am grateful for the help you have all provided me with. Thank you! ”

“I would just like to thank you for everything that you have done for me. The money provided to be to better my education will be worth every cent. I don’t have too many people who look out for me and I am grateful for those who help me. Thank you once again to those who donated.”

“I love college. I love learning about new people and backgrounds but it’s hard to relate because Hispanics are barely 12% of the campus. Transitioning was tough but I continue to push myself to do better so I can return home soon and help my community there! I am interning with Raices, which is a program focused on Latinx communities and a lot of community engagement.”

“I am so grateful to have received this scholarship from the Making Hope Happen Foundation. It’s not every day that you come across people who believe in you and your dreams and are willing to put in their own time and money to help you achieve success. Getting into college is one of my greatest accomplishments and I’m thankful to have this organization there to help me every step of the way. Having both financial help and a mentor for my first two years is going to be very beneficial. I will be sure to use my time to work towards making this world a better place.”