Thanks to the generous support of our members and friends and sound fiscal management, the Northwest Valley branch is able to offer scholarships to local women enrolled, and in good standing as sophomores, juniors or seniors, at a two or four-year accredited institution of higher education. The application process is competitive and draws quality submissions. Each student will receive $1,000 per semester renewable for two additional years. We maintain each scholar for three years, adding new scholars as openings occur.
Please contact Lu Marchese, AAUW NWV Scholarship chair for more information.
Current branch scholarship recipients are:
| Jenna Alcantar | ASU |
| Anaiah Craig | ASU |
| Kayoni Hughes | ASU |
| Haley Matthews | Embry Riddle Aeronautical University |
| Trinity Morgan | Northern Arizona University |
Bio of Jenna Alcantar, our newest scholarship recipient:
My name is Jenna Alcantar and I am a freshman at Arizona State University. I enjoy meeting and talking to new people on campus, joining new clubs, and participating in intramural sports like volleyball and soccer. I am also passionate about volunteering with various special needs programs throughout Arizona. Earlier this year I decided to major in Human Communication to pursue a career in higher education and networking to help low income and first-generation college students have the opportunity to study at a university. My biggest dream is to graduate from Arizona State University and to then get my master’s degree. I am so fortunate and blessed to be able to study at such a beautiful and amazing school. I make it my mission to help any student or peer struggling in their educational journey because if I can do it, so can they.
Bio of Anaiah Craig:
As an early high school graduate in December 2019, I started my first semester of college at GCC- while my peers were working to complete their last semester of high school. To achieve this goal, I maintained a 3.6 GPA in high school and was accepted to Glendale Community College as an honor’s student. As an honor’s student and early high school graduate, I completed my first semester of college in May 2020 with a 4.0 grade point average. Further, I completed my first college summer session and maintained the 4.0 cumulative GPA. As a community volunteer, I have worked in early childhood development as Playologist for Phoenix Children’s Museum. Further, I have volunteered at the St. Mary’s Food Bank to pack food lunch boxes for children who qualified for free and reduced lunch at their summer programs. And finally, I have volunteered at the Thunderbird Park and Recreation Rio Vista to encourage physical activity for children.
Some of my goals are to maintain honor student status as a college student, obtain my Associates Degree in nutrition, and transfer to ASU to complete my bachelor’s degree in nutrition. Ultimately, I want to work as a Nutritionist in a child-centered facility like a Children’s Hospital or pediatric facility or school system. As a child focused nutritionist, I will bring all my volunteer passions together: early childhood development, food adequacy and nutrition; and health activity for kids.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family, cooking, traveling, or journaling. I also have a passion for dancing, I have been involved in dance since age two and it provides a creative and freeing feeling. I love to participate in dance classes or even make my own routines. Last, I have always been a creative person. Currently, I am trying to learn how to sew. I also make my own journals and scrapbooks. Overall, I am proud of what I have accomplished; and I cannot wait to see what I will achieve in the future!
Bio of Kayoni Hughes:
As I grew up my career goals changed. Everything from being a firefighter, meteorologist, and even biomedical engineer. But now, as I have been coming into adulthood experiencing a once in a lifetime global pandemic, these goals have changed. My goals for my career are in the business sector. I desire a company that strives for societal change that aligns with my beliefs and values. As a scholarship recipient who volunteers her time with a local organization that supports and assists the seniors in my community it is important to conduct business with a purpose bigger than oneself. I’m extremely proud to be involved with AAUW and will continue to spread the word of the greatness in women they encourage, support, and enrich.
Bio of Haley Matthews:
This summer (2022) has been very reflective for me on what I want my next steps to look like. I had a fantastic experience with my internship this summer at Boeing and learned more than I could have ever imagined. I was able to truly apply the criticial thinking and adaptive skills I have learned while pursuing my bachelor’s at ERAU, but even more about myself and the value I can bring to a team. I have not only developed my confidence as a student but as a strong contributor to all that I can do in the engineering industry. Through my experience at Boeing, I have really honed in on the type of environment I am looking forward to in a career and my passion for a fast-paced, challenging, and innovative culture. This was something I was so grateful to find at Boeing. My goal at the moment is to return to Boeing after I finish my last year of school and continue to grow and develop there. Boeing’s wonderful education benefits have also drawn my attention, as I am looking forward to beginning my Master’s next Fall. Although this year is my last of soccer, I cannot see this huge part of my life completely disappearing and I will be searching for opportunities to continue playing and or coaching. I have been so thankful for the massive impact this summer has had on me and who I have become as a result of it. I am looking forward to entering my last year of school and making the most of it!
Bio of Trinity Morgan:
My name is Trinity Morgan and I am entering the nursing concurrent enrollment program at GCC and NAU. I graduated from Mountain Ridge High School in 2018 and immediately entered GCC on the President’s Honors Scholarship. My current academic goal is to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in nursing and a certificate in language studies/Deaf studies. In the future, I hope to attain a master’s degree in either Anesthesiology or Nursing Administration and an associate degree in interpreting. I have always had a passion for health, wellness, and all things academic. It is my belief that learning never ends and that all knowledge should be applied to better improve our communities. These beliefs lead me to pursue my passion for healthcare and language so that I can help to bridge the communication gaps between medical staff and the deaf community while working to improve the health of our community as a whole. Aside from academics and healthcare, I’ve been very active in politics since I was young. I currently serve as a Maricopa County Precinct Committeewoman, and I have worked for many campaigns and political groups as a data entry clerk and canvasser. Through my political efforts, I was also able to attend a leadership conference in Washington D.C. and personally meet some of our congressmen and women. Armed with a rich start on my experiences, I’m excited to see where my passion for knowledge and desire to help will take me.