2022-23 PGE Foundation Scholarship Student Stories
Dahlia Carrillo
Hometown and State: Gresham, OR
College or University Name: George Fox University
Major: Computer Science
Minor: Theology
Class Standing: Sophomore
Pronouns: She/Her
This school year started off a little bumpy, and a lot of it had to do with my family. About seven months ago, my mom was detected with pre-cancerous cells in her stomach. This news made it a lot harder to move back to Fox this school year. Over the summer I had the ‘stay at home mom’ position in the family.
Coming back to Fox was difficult because I was no longer going to be there for her every day of the week. I could no longer cook for her, check up on her mental health in person, or make sure she was not pushing herself too much at work. Earlier this month we went to a Doctor’s appointment in Mexico where they did another procedure and tested to see if anything in her stomach had changed. I was missing a week of school to accompany my mom to her procedure, and this was stressing me out.
While my mom was in her procedure, I received a call from George Fox University’s Financial Aid office telling me that I had been awarded this scholarship. I almost teared up. My family and I were worrying about how we were going to pay for the medical bills. We wondered if we would have enough money to move onto therapy if they were to find cancerous cells. The call stopped time. All this to say, I am immensely grateful for being awarded this scholarship. That call was a blessing from the Lord amid the chaos, stress, anxiety, and worry. It was a very hard week and being awarded the scholarship at exactly that time in my life, at the exact time my mom was being tested, was a blessing directly from the Lord. It was like he was laying upon me his grace, love, and peace through your donation. He was reassuring me that everything was going to be okay, that he was going to provide. I am grateful for your lives, and the generosity you have shown me. Although, from your side it may just seem like you are donating money. From my side, you are impacting me in such a breath-taking way. I have no words to express my immense gratitude towards you. A million times, thank you! Most of all, I thank the almighty God for your life.
Why did you choose your college and major?
My junior and senior year of high school, I attended an advanced high school for half of the day. They had four programs you could start taking college class for. One of those programs was computer science, so I tried it and I really liked it! I love the designing aspect of it, and how I can see and do the behind-the-scenes of the designing, as well.
After graduation, I plan to…
Start working at a company as a software engineer. After earning money to pay off my loans, I would like to start my own business.
Oscar Figueroa Ponce
Hometown and State: Salem, OR
College or University Name: Willamette University
Major: Biochemistry
Minor: Possibly Spanish
Class Standing: Senior
Pronouns: He/Him
Why was this scholarship meaningful to you?
Thank you to the Alliance and PGE for the PGE Foundation Scholarship! This scholarship was meaningful to me because it makes it easier for me to focus on school rather than on a job to try and cover the cost of school. I still have on-campus work positions, but it is nice to have more financial support during my time here at Willamette University.
Why did you choose your college and major?
I chose to go to Willamette University because of its small class sizes. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to go to a smaller university because I wanted to have meaningful interactions with my peers and professors. So far, it has been an amazing experience. I chose biochemistry as my major because I have always been interested in the sciences. Also, I took general chemistry here and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I decided to pursue my degree in that subject.
After graduation, I plan to…
I plan to continue my education by receiving a master's degree. I want to be able to apply my biochemistry knowledge to help people, so I may also go into the pharmaceutical industry working towards making various medicines.
Josie Graydon
Hometown and State: Bend, OR
College or University Name: Lewis & Clark College
Major: Biology
Class Standing: Senior
Pronouns: She/Her
Why was this scholarship meaningful to you?
I would not be able to attend college without this scholarship. My family was not privileged enough to maintain a college savings account while I was growing up, so I have little to work with. Thank you for putting me one step closer to graduation.
After graduation, I plan to…
take at least a year off from school. I would like to get a job working in the field, preferably in the Pacific Northwest. However, I may consider a graduate degree in entomology in the future.
Why did you choose your college and major?
I chose Lewis & Clark College because I am originally from Oregon, and I love Portland. The campus is beautiful, and it's in a prime location in proximity to Tryon Creek State Park and Riverview Natural Area, where I go and collect data for many of the biology courses I've taken. I obviously love to be outside, so biology is a perfect fit for me because I can learn more about the natural world around me.
In this photo, Josie sits on the floor of the Ancient Forest in Oxbow Regional Park after performing a forest floor observation for her Invertebrate Zoology course.
Jaiden Martin
Hometown and State: Eugene, OR
College or University Name: Pacific University
Major: Environmental Science
Class Standing: Junior
Why was this scholarship meaningful to you?
Thank you! This scholarship has allowed to truly focus on my schooling due to it covering my remaining expenses for my tuition. For someone who supports herself through college, this scholarship meant so much to me and relieved some financial pressure.
Why did you choose your college and major?
I chose Pacific University because of the fast-paced, advanced pharmacy program. This program allows me to get both my bachelor’s degree and doctorate in pharmacy in a total of six years instead of eight.
After graduation, I plan to…
I plan to enter directly into Pacific’s School of Pharmacy to work towards my doctorate in pharmacy. This will allow me to then have a career as a pharmacist in the coming years.
Joseph Roman
Hometown and State: Beaverton, OR
College or University Name: Warner Pacific University
Major: Finance
Minor: Accounting
Class Standing: Junior
Pronouns: He/Him
Why was this scholarship meaningful to you?
It has made college so much more accessible for me. Without this scholarship, I wouldn't be able to earn a higher education.
After graduation, I plan to…
work at an accounting firm or something that has to do with finance. After working there for 2-4 years, I will venture off and open my own business.
Why did you choose your college and major?
I choose Warner Pacific for soccer. I ended up loving the university and enjoyed the small class sizes and forming personal relationships with professors. I chose to study finance and accounting because I've always enjoyed business and didn't mind the technical parts of it.
Dacia Solis Valdovinos
Hometown and State: Beaverton, OR
College or University Name: Linfield University
Major: Biochemistry
Class Standing: Junior
Pronouns: She/Her
Why was this scholarship meaningful to you?
This scholarship allows me to further my education without worrying about the cost and I am very appreciative of it. Thank you so much.
After graduation, I plan to…
Attend medical school and become a neonatologist.
Why did you choose your college and major?
Because Linfield University is one of the best liberal arts schools with amazing science programs. I wanted to go somewhere where I knew I would be able to expand and dive into my learning. Also, knowing that I would be supported by my advisors and professors was important to me.
Enrique Zegarra
Hometown and State: Portland, OR
College or University Name: University of Portland
Major: Chemistry
Class Standing: Senior
Pronouns: He/Him
Why was this scholarship meaningful to you?
This scholarship is impactful because it relieves the financial strain of attending a private, four-year university. Now I have more time to focus on completing my degree and working hard to further my healthcare education. My family and I are infinitely grateful. Thank you so much for your consideration and generosity.
After graduation, I plan to…
Apply to medical school to one day become a physician and have the opportunity to help safeguard people's overall well-being.
Why did you choose your college and major?
I chose to attend the University of Portland because I wanted to stay close to family, which is a vital support system for me, and I found a close-knit community appealing. I majored in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry because I am pursuing a medical career and many diseases and treatments involve chemical processes.
