2019 RESDC Scholarship Recipients

Scholarship recipients Sarina Jassy (2018), Sarah Goudarzi (2019), and Austin Tarke (2018), along with their family members and Scholarship Committee Chair Carlos Gonzalez, at the Board of Supervisors presentation on June 25, 2019.

This year’s RESDC Scholarship recipients will soon be off to their college lives. Together with their parents, grandparents, and sponsors, we pause briefly on their exciting journey to recognize their accomplishments. Excerpts of their personal statements are presented here.

Gisele de Araujo is sponsored by her Grandmother, Angela Ryan. Gisele graduated from Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School, Alameda, CA, with a 4.57 GPA. Quoting from her applicant statement, “As a child, I became accustomed to strangers leaning in and peering curiously at my face. I stared back and resisted the urge to blink. You see, I have sectoral heterochromia. However, looking out of my blue eye isn’t any different from looking out of my green and brown eye – except for the prescription (the blue eye doesn’t see the world quite as clearly). I wondered if all colors of eyes see people the same way, what is it about circumstances that create different perspectives?

Having bicultural parents and dual citizenship with Brazil sparked my interest in international affairs. Interviewing my father for a school heritage project, I watched his tanned face contort as his blue eyes gazed off deep in memory of the violence brought to my family in Rio by the military coup d’état and the U.S. attempt to instate democracy. During further studies, after scrutinizing the paternalistic Western world, my glasses prescription became symbolic. My first intergenerational Model UN conference (IGMUN) inspired me to pursue my long-time passions through international relations. After this conference, I established our school’s Model UN Club hoping to mirror IGMUN’s values. As founder and President, I brought these values to my school and encouraged members to recognize how global issues applied on a local level.”

One of Gisele’s teachers wrote, “Gisele’s activities are numerous and illustrate her passions and talents. She is an exemplary model to others in her character, behavior and ability to balance other priorities. She has been in student government all four years, representing her freshmen class, and then transitioning to representing the entire student body in sophomore and junior years until being elected as ASB President.”

Sarah Goudarzi is sponsored by her Grandmother, Jackie Cleveland. Sarah graduated from Mission Hills High School, San Marcos, CA, with a 4.23 GPA. Quoting from her applicant statement, “I have lived in San Marcos my whole life and have enjoyed every happy moment and hardship I have experienced in this town. School is one of the most important aspects of my life. During my high school years, I have taken seven AP classes, my two favorites are AP Art History and Criminal Justice. I played soccer for a club and the high school until my senior year, but I had to stop because of a debilitating concussion. My family has driven into me that there are two things we can control in life; attitude and effort. This has been my foundation for all the things I do, in order to be the best that I can be.

Two major community service programs I have participated in are: The Shooting Stars Basketball Program and the San Diego Sheriff Explorer Program. In The Shooting Stars Program, I would volunteer to help special needs children play a game of Basketball. Throughout ten weeks, I got to know most of the players on my team. These children are hilarious, sweet and absolutely brilliant. This experience inspired me to have a more positive outlook in life. I hope I was able to brighten the “buddies” and their parents’ day, as they brighten mine. Participating in the San Diego Sheriff Explorer Program helped me develop my people skills and having a deeper understanding of the many issues we have in our society.

I plan on attending California State University San Marcos. I would like to pursue a career in public service, either in Education or Law Enforcement.” One of Sarah’s teachers wrote, “Sarah is one of the top students in my Criminal Justice class, she is self-motivated, easy to get along with and a diligent worker; always completes her assignments in a timely manner and is constantly eager to help others. I have always been impressed with Sarah’s maturity level and her respect for others. She has been a role model for her peers, and I am positive that she will go on to do great things in her life.”

Jessica Manzuk is sponsored by her Grandmother, Gladys Hradecky. Jessica graduated from Steel Canyon High School, Jamul, CA, with a 4.39 GPA.  Quoting from her applicant statement, “My name is Jessica E. Manzuk, but I go by Jessie. I was born and raised in San Diego and grew up in the small town of Jamul. I am very active outdoors, and very involved at my school and in my community. I enjoy hiking, camping, and mountain biking. I grew up playing soccer and riding horses. Once I entered high school, I started to run Cross Country and Track. My community involvement includes volunteering with a youth soccer organization, supporting local Kiwanis events, volunteer labor to restore local ecosystems, volunteering at horse shows and putting in many extracurricular hours for school events. I take great pride in my school, family, and friends; I am fortunate to have such large and robust network of great people in my life. I have plans to start a career as either a biologist or an athletic trainer. I want to play an active role in studying, protecting and exploring our ecosystems. The career of an athletic trainer would require the study of the human body, along with how to treat athletic injuries, and even possibly to contribute to sport specific research for improved performance.”

One of Jessica’s teachers wrote, “As a Safe School Ambassador, Jessie works tirelessly to keep our students safe; she serves as role model to all students on campus, reporting any suspicious activity to a trusted adult. As a member and team captain of the varsity Cross Country, she led the team to a CIF championship. She has balanced all of her extracurriculars while also maintaining strong grades in her A.P. classes.”

Savannah Rinder is sponsored by her Grandfather, Lewis Zollinger. Savannah graduated from West Hills High School, Santee, CA, with a 4.43 GPA. Quoting from her applicant statement, “As a child, many of my family members and people in my community told me that because I was educated in Lemon Grove, or that because I grew up in Lemon Grove, I couldn’t achieve success in my future. Despite this negativity, I worked hard in all years of my schooling, and now I will be attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, in the fall.

Because I grew up in a religious home, I was able to adopt deep moral values, helping me strengthen my own personality. Ever since I was a child, there was an emphasis on family relationships, specifically ensuring love, honesty, and communication. Since these values were strongly upheld in my home, I was soon embodied by them. At the end of my sophomore year, I decided to focus more on basketball and eventually made the varsity team in my junior and senior years. Despite having no experience in basketball, when I first stepped into the gym my freshman year, I was made the captain of the varsity team. As a senior during my final year of high school in the fall, I was enrolled in a peer tutoring class. This class gave me the opportunity to help students at my school with disabilities. While in this class, I was able to “job-shadow” our school’s Occupational Therapist. For the first time in my life, I saw a glimpse into a future I could have. Since then, I have decided to pursue a degree in Special Education, with hopes of then attending Occupational Therapy School.”

One of Savannah’s teachers wrote, “Her dedication to service was fully on display during a humanitarian aid trip to Guatemala. She worked for two weeks with a medical team to aid families in local communities with service projects like building sustainable gardens for healthy eating habits. This experience was one that really helped to shape who she is as a person and where her future will take her as it helped her discover her drive and passion for helping others.”

Halle Way is sponsored by her Grandmother, Anianita Villarba. Halle graduated from Cathedral High School, San Diego, CA, with a 4.22 GPA. Quoting from her applicant statement, “Halle, pronounced “Ally,” but with an “H;” I was born and raised in San Diego, attending Our Lady of Grace in El Cajon for elementary and middle school. I have been fortunate to have grown up in the most amazing family who constantly supports my educational and life aspirations. I’ve always valued community service, in that it creates special bonds with the population being served, exercises selflessness, and increases social awareness and responsibility. I participated in community service through the volunteer program at Sharp Memorial Hospital; once or twice a week, I had the opportunity to assist nurses in tasks such as pushing wheelchairs, delivering blood bags, escorting families of patients or working the front desk in the post-operation room. There is nothing more gratifying than the look on the patient’s face when I bring them flowers delivered from a loved one, or just sit and chat with them while they are waiting for a nurse.

I consider my adolescent life to have been very successful; I have achieved First Honors every semester of high school, while continuously searching for ways to perform service in order to potentially benefit my community. I look forward to continuing my passion of service to others as I study Nursing in college and enter the medical field.”

One of Halle’s teachers wrote, “Halle is one of the most active students on this campus. When she told me she would be participating in the school play this year; I asked, why? The reason is that it is one of the very few activities she has not participated in and she wanted to learn from the experience. (This was after college applications had been sent…!). This speaks to the intellectual curiosity Halle exuded in my class; a greatly undervalued trait critical to long-term success.”

Christian J. (C.J.) Ringenberg is sponsored by his Grandfather, Larry Fredricks. C.J. graduated from Hillcrest School, Papua, Indonesia, with a 3.75 GPA. Quoting from his applicant statement, “My background is the life of a missionary kid and I have had some very unique cultural experiences. I was born overseas in an interior hospital in Kalimantan, Indonesia, where my family was serving with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). MAF’s mission is, “Sharing the love of Jesus Christ through aviation and technology so that (geographically) isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed. My family returned to the U.S. after my sister Hannah became sick with a brain tumor. She went to be with the Lord in 2003. After seven years working in the States at MAF headquarters,  God called my  family back  to serving overseas; first to Kalimantan, then to Papua, where my family has served for the past seven years. Over the years, I have had many unique ways to serve the community and grow in my leadership abilities. Most prominently, I participated in Outdoor Education (O.E), a ten-day long trip to an interior village that the high school takes every year. During the trip we serve the local people by doing work projects for them and by helping provide education about HIV/AIDS, and other healthcare problems.

Because I live in a foreign country and I have a student visa, I legally can’t get a job. My work experience has come from work that a class sponsor has helped us to obtain, organizing fundraisers throughout my four years of high school. Our fundraisers have ranged from regularly preparing and serving a meal for the mission community of around 200 people, to organizing events such as a coffee house which included live music, coffee, and desserts. We have also organized meat and cheese orders for the mission community, because those items are hard to get where we live. Part of our fundraising includes tithing from our profits each year. We also will leave the school a gift when we graduate, as well as getting to enjoy a senior trip to Bali. I am thankful for the skills that I have learned from my work experiences.

Service has been a big part of my life, which has given me the opportunity to further my leadership service capability. Regardless where I go in life, according to God’s call, serving others will always be part of my life.”

One of C.J.’s teachers wrote, “C.J. has many interests and is primarily focused on medical fields, military and public service. He is one of the most conscientious and generous people I know. He has a true heart for service to others and takes time to build up those around him with encouragement.” His service to others includes an extensive list of over 15 different activities, where he has distinguished himself during his high school years.

C.J. has been selected to receive the LaRue Pierce Community Service Award. This award was established in 2014, honoring the memory of LaRue Pierce, RESDC Director and Scholarship Committee Chair during the first 18 years of the RESDC Scholarship Program, and her spirit of community service.

Congratulations to all our participants. The San Diego County retirees are very proud of their children and grandchildren, and their scholastic, civic, and social accomplishments. Best wishes to all for continued success.

Our deepest appreciation and credit for the Scholarship Program’s success goes to the Selection Committee, whose independent and confidential effort ensures the quality of results. We are most proud and honored to have them as part of the RESDC team.

Theo and Evelyn Yakel
2019 Scholarship Recipients

Congratulations to the four recipients of the Theo and Evelyn Yakel Scholarships for 2019! The students received awards in the amounts of $1,000-$1,500. The four students are in alphabetical order:

Anna Schneider, sponsored by Andrew Schneider.

Bella Siwicki, sponsored by Donna Siwicki.

Samuel Viray, sponsored by Rizalina Viray.

Alex Wimberly, sponsored by Maria Perez.

In 2001, RESDC member Theo Yakel and his wife, Evelyn, placed a $250,000 endowment with the San Diego Foundation for the purpose of awarding scholarships to children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of members of The Retired Employees of San Diego County. The interest from the endowment is used to fund the annual scholarships. Many thanks to Theo and Evelyn for their generous endowment to provide financial assistance to young people seeking higher education at a college or university.

The Yakel Scholarships are in addition to and complementary to the scholarships that RESDC awards. This is another opportunity for the families of RESDC members.

Congratulations and good luck to all of the 2019 Scholarship Recipients.