Richfield students among 30 other Minnesota high schoolers surprised with $16K Wallin Scholarships for college
RICHFIELD, Minn. – On Wednesday, 361 Minnesota high schoolers were awarded $16,000 in college scholarships.
The Wallin Education Partners Scholarships focus primarily on helping first-generation students of color.
Of the 300-plus scholars this year, 30 of them throughout four Minnesota high schools – Richfield, Anoka-Hennepin, St. Paul and Owatonna – were surprised with their scholarships.
Back in April, Kharisma Naidu and Elsy Marbeli Cruz Parra were told to go to the auditorium at Richfield High School to be interviewed about their experience using a college readiness program. Instead, they were handed envelopes telling them they were Wallin Scholars. Their reactions were captured in real-time, while the cameras were rolling.
The Wallin Scholarships gives each student $16,000 of financial aid over the course of four years of college.
"It hit me when…they gave me the opportunity to call my mom," said Cruz Parra. "Just telling her, that made me so emotional."
For both of these Richfield seniors, they're the first in their families to go to college.
"My purpose is just to kind of go through college, gain as much connections as I can, and put my last time out there, put my family name out there," Naidu said.
Naidu, whose parents are from Guyana, South America, is going to Hamline University next year to study business administration and psychology.
Elsy, whose parents are from Mexico, is going to Augsburg University to study biology.
"For Hispanic or Latinx students, this is a phrase I really love, 'Sí se puede, sí se pudo,' which means kind of like, 'you can do it,'" said Cruz Parra.
The Wallin Scholarship was created 31 years ago. Their purpose is to not only help students get to college, but to stick with them through graduation.
In addition to the money, students get an advisor for all four years of undergrad.
"It just means that I have support through college, and I'm not alone," Naidu said.
There are 499 students still waitlisted for Wallin Scholarships. The nonprofit hopes to give out more, and encourages people to donate to make that happen by June 1.
