Tri-Cities student wins $10,000 prize in 31st annual scholarship awards

Edgar Sanchez Quiroz already looks out for fellow students while serving on the Pasco School Board. When he gets out of college he also hopes to teach the next generation.

The Pasco High senior class president earned the $10,000 Fiesta Foods scholarship to help reach that goal.

He was the top winner in the annual Hispanic Academic Achievers Program, celebrating its 31st year in the Tri-Cities.

In all, 20 high school seniors were awarded $85,500.

Sanchez Quiroz is second in his class of 531 with a 3.98 GPA and is on the Pasco High cross county team.

He followed his sister Vanesa into being a student representative on the school board.

“I want to be able to give student input and make sure the board is able to see things from the students’ perspective,” he said.

Sanchez Quiroz plans to use his scholarship at the University of Washington to pursue a math degree with a teaching certificate. He also wants to earn a degree in business administration.

HAAP started in 1989 with 211 Pasco students and a goal to recognize Hispanic youth who perform well in the classroom.

This year, the program recognized 7,400 students from across the Tri-City area for maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher.

The coronavirus closures meant the normal celebration that brings thousands to Kennewick’s Toyota Center needed to be moved online.

The scholarship announcements were made during a Zoom conference call.

HAAP thanked Central Washington University and Columbia Basin College for sponsoring more than $37,500 in scholarships this year.

Scholarship winners

Edgar Ulises Sanchez Quiroz, $10,000 Fiesta Foods scholarship.

Zahira Barragan, $7,000 Frost scholarship. The Connell High School senior will graduate with a 3.95 GPA. Zahira plans to attend Columbia Basin College or Washington State University and pursue a degree in nursing.

Mateo Coghlan, $6,500 scholarship. The Hanford High School senior will graduate with a 3.99 GPA. He plans to attend Santa Clara University and plans to double major in political science and international affairs and minor in business management or microeconomics.

Rosa Marianna Martinez, $5,000 Mission Support Alliance scholarship. The Southridge High School senior will graduate with a 4.0 GPA. She plans to attend Columbia University and pursue a degree in neuroscience.

Yatzire Tapia, $5,000 Central Washington University scholarship. The Chiawana High School senior will graduate with a 3.11 GPA. Yatzire plans to attend Central Washington University to pursue a degree in social services.

Ricardo Moreno Garcia, $5,000 Central Washington University scholarship. The Pasco High School senior will graduate with a 3.90 GPA. Ricardo plans to attend Central Washington University and then transfer to the University of Washington and pursue a career as a doctor.

Evelin Andrade Santos, $5,000 Central Washington University scholarship. The Pasco High School senior will graduate with a 3.39 GPA. She plans to attend Central Washington University and major in social work with an English minor.

Wendy Membreno, $5,000 Central Washington University scholarship. The Pasco High School senior will graduate with a 3.61 GPA. She plans to attend Central Washington University and pursue a degree in education and become a history or Spanish teacher.

Lindsie Avalos, $5,000 Central Washington University scholarship. The Kamiakin/Private homeschooled senior will graduate with a 3.94/3.81 GPA. She plans to attend Central Washington University to pursue a degree in film and become a cinematographer.

Karina Armenta Gaytan, $4,000 Lenwood Farms and Friends scholarship. The Riverview High School senior will graduate with a 4.0 GPA. She plans to major in math and minor in music.

Guadalupe Alexander “Alex” Gonzalez Orozco, $3,000 Frost scholarship. The Delta High School senior will graduate with a 3.95 GPA. He plans to attend University of Washington and major in business administration with the goal of becoming a lawyer to focus in helping the Hispanic and other minority communities.

Adela Aguilar Flores, $3,000 Key Bank scholarship. The Pasco High School senior will graduate with a 3.93 GPA. She plans to attend Columbia Basin College to pursue a career in teaching or law.

Anna Montes, $2,500 Tri-City Latin American Association scholarship. The Connell High School senior will graduate with a 3.77 GPA. She plans to attend the University of Washington to major in public health and then medical school.

Emmanuel Castro, $2,500 Tri-Cities Engineering scholarship & $2,000 Anonymous Donor Scholarship. The Connell High School student will graduate with a 3.65 GPA. He plans to attend Columbia Basin College and then transfer to pursue an architecture degree.

Tobias “Toby” Rangel Guillen, $2,500 Gesa scholarship. The Southridge High School student will graduate with a 3.98 GPA. Toby is interested in studying chemistry at the University of Washington and has been accepted to a 10-week summer program at the University of Maryland.

Ana Karen Meza Zurita, $2,500 Columbia Basin College scholarship. The Connell High School senior will graduate with a 3.58 GPA. She plans to attend Columbia Basin College and then transfer to Washington State University to study early childhood education or human development.

Andrea Villegas Rodriguez, $2,500 Columbia Basin College scholarship. The Pasco High School student will graduate with a 3.49 GPA. She plans to attend Columbia Basin College and pursue nursing.

Faith Gonzalez, $2,500 Columbia Basin College scholarship. The Kamiakin High School senior is graduating with a 3.39 GPA. She plans to attend Columbia Basin College and then Spokane Community College to be an ultrasound technician.

Scarlet Izaguirre, $2,500 Columbia Basin College scholarship. The Chiawana High School senior will graduate with a 3.98 GPA. She plans to attend Columbia Basin College then transfer to Washington State University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Jessica Licon-Vasquez, $2,500 Columbia Basin College scholarship. The Chiawana High School senior will graduate with a 3.43 GPA with an associate’s degree from Columbia Basin College. She plans to continue studying at Columbia Basin College to pursue a career in dental hygiene.

This story was originally published May 10, 2020 at 1:53 PM.