Fifty-seven Adams County high school students were awarded scholarships totaling more than $1 million on Wednesday, June 26, through the Adams County Scholarship Fund. Adams County Commissioners introduced the Scholarship Fund in 2016, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative.
“These students have all earned this honor through sheer hard work, dedication, and overcoming challenges,” said Emma Pinter, Board of County Commissioners Chair. “Now their mission is clear: Go to college, study hard, and then pay it forward by giving back to their community and ensuring this scholarship continues to be available for future students.”
The scholarships were funded with the voter-approved three percent sales tax on retail marijuana sales in the county. In addition, the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative matched the sales tax funds to increase the scholarship pool. First-generation and low-income high school seniors were among those eligible to apply for one of the scholarships.
The Board of Commissioners identified Adams County Education Consortium (ACEC) as the fiscal agent for the Adams County Scholarship Fund. ACEC works directly with county school districts or school district foundations. Those include Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Adams 14 Education Foundation, School District 27J Education Foundation, Mapleton District 1 Education Foundation, Westminster District 50 Education Foundation, Strasburg School District 31J, and Bennett School District 29J.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools – 22 scholarships of $22,422.13 each
Bibi Naeima Ahmadi, Samim Akbari, Farid Amami, Brayan Arias, Jaren Barco, Peniel Ditu, Kaya Duran, Olivia Gallagher, Meline Guizar Jimenez, Chasity Hagerman, Samiullah Hamidi, Angel Hendricks, Khudija Khamosh, Mateo Martinez, Mya Mascarenas, Melissa Mijares Sanchez, Alyssa Moulin, Asma Noor Zai, Ashley Rodriguez Castillo, Paulina Ruiz Palma, Isaac Sotelo, Abdul Wajid
Adams County School District 14 – eight scholarships of $14,375 each
Leonela Arreola Ramirez, Ricardo Hernandez, Arianna Hernandez-Soria, Justice Malia Martinez, Eduardo Quintana Rodriguez, Josue Rascon Felix, Jaqueline Rojas Rivera, Mimi Yen Noraseng
Mapleton Public Schools – ten scholarships of $12,000.20 each
Denise Arroyo Rojas, Milton Samuel Cortez Morales, Kacey Culley, Alliton Flores Sanchez, Nichols Garcia, Jashinna Lamas, Jace Lamorie, Layla Lopez, Ruby Trejo, Braulio Uribe
27J Schools – eight scholarships of $18,935 each
Abraham Ambriz, Linda Briggite Chacon Montes, Katherine Egarton, Eden Kartchner, Michael Lee Medina, Ricky Enrique Pinedo, Julio Prieto, Arina Sadeq
Strasburg School District 31J – one scholarship of $20,838
Colton Hall
Westminster Public Schools – eight scholarships of $17,776 each
Ashley Gardea Ochoa, Hunter Goll, Jesse Hernandez Mendoza, Stacey Lor, Anahi Luna, Alondra Mendoza Hinojos, Jaiden Miller, Mariana Patino
Source: Adams County News and Information
