The California Rodeo Salinas has distributed $37,500 in scholarships to local students pursuing higher education. The California Rodeo Salinas has proudly offered scholarships for the past 37 years. The program has recently expanded beyond scholarships only being offered via Hartnell College to an additional program through the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC). Students who are attending or graduating from Hartnell may apply for the Hartnell College scholarship and the CFMC scholarship allows students who are California Rodeo Salinas Committee Members or related to Committee Members to apply, and funds may be used to attend any college or other post high school education program, including trade school.
As noted by Kelly McCarthy Sutherland, the Chair of the California Rodeo Salinas Scholarship Advisory Committee, “We are very excited to be giving out a record breaking $37,500 in scholarships this year to 8 very deserving students. For many of these students, these scholarships are life changing, and allow them to reach for their very best futures. Each one of our recipients impressed the committee with their intelligence, poise, and commitment to helping others. They are a great investment.”
This year a total of eight scholarships were awarded, four via Hartnell College and four via CFMC.
Hartnell College recipients include:
Jaden Carrillo
Steve Perez Garcia
Judith Gonzalez
Erin Hoffman
Community Foundation for Monterey County recipients include:
Isabella Madison Carothers
Alyssa Ferrell
James Martin Flores
Carly Vorwerck
Here are the student biographies:
Jaden Carrillo
Jaden Carrillo is a 21-year-old who graduated from Salinas High School, Hartnell College and is now attending California State University Monterey Bay where she will earn her teaching credential while working on her bachelor’s degree before pursuing her master’s degree. A past volunteer at the California rodeo Salinas, Carrillo plans to become a 1st grade teacher. Carrillo appreciates this scholarship as she pays for all her schooling expenses by herself, and this allows her to pursue her passion.
Steve Perez Garcia
A North Salinas High School graduate, Steve Perez Garcia is 21 years old and lives in Soledad, CA. Garcia is now transferring from Hartnell College to San Jose State University to study business management and then plans to return to Hartnell for a welding certificate and start his own welding business. This welding shop will not only work with agricultural companies in the area, but also benefit children who would like to learn a trade as a way of giving back to the community.
Judith Gonzalez
20-year-old Judith Medina Gonzalez graduated from Salinas High School before attending Hartnell College where she is participating in the Registered Nursing program. Gonzalez has volunteered in several areas at the California Rodeo Salinas in the past and, as a full-time student, she is grateful for the scholarship which greatly benefits her future studies.
Erin Hoffman
Erin Hoffman is a 38-year-old working mother of two who decided to return to school to earn a degree post COVID. She lives in Prunedale, CA, graduated from North Monterey County High School and will be attending California State University Monterey Bay where she will be studying to become a Certified Public Accountant. Erin has been the sole income in the family while working two jobs, running a business, and attending college full-time, so this scholarship helps her tremendously in her pursuit of her CPA license.
Isabella Carothers
A proud member of the California Rodeo’s Trophy Committee, 18-year-old Isabella Carothers is going to attend either Hartnell or Carroll College this fall to work toward her teaching credential. The Rancho San Juan High School graduate was accepted to numerous colleges, and should she choose to attend Carroll College, it will be with a full-ride scholarship.
Alyssa Ferrell
Passionate about helping others, Salinas High graduate Alyssa Ferrell is working on her Master of Science in Nursing to be followed by Nurse Practitioner licensure. Only 28 years old, Ferrell has worked for five years in medical-surgical oncology as a Registered Nurse before returning to school at the University of California Los Angeles. Ferrell has volunteered on the Rodeo’s Sponsor Hospitality Committee alongside her mother, who has worked on the committee for decades.
James Martin Flores
James Martin Flores is 18 years old and attending California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo with ambitions of going into agricultural sales after college. Flores’ family has been involved with the Rodeo for decades and he is a proud member of the Ground Preparation Committee. The scholarship funds will greatly enhance his college experience as they will cover books, tuition, and supplies for the upcoming school year.
Carly Vorwerck
Carly Vorwerck graduated from Salinas High School and will be attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo this fall to major in Agriculture Science.She plans to one day return to the Salinas Valley to pursue opportunities in the agricultural industry. At just 17 years old, Vorwerck has been on the Souvenir Committee for 2 years, but worked previously in the poster room with her grandfather who was a rodeo director.
Donations to the Community Foundation scholarship fund are welcomed and not limited to cash; examples might include coin collections, vehicles, or property. Visit https://www.cfmco.org/give-now/?fund=12144 to donate.
Visit www.carodeo.com for more information about the California Rodeo Salinas, which takes place July 20th-23rd, and other upcoming events.
Photo by Mag One Media.
Pictured left to right: Steve Perez Garcia, Jaden Carrillo, Carly Vorwerck, James Martin Flores, Alyssa Farrell, Isabella Carothers & Judith Gonzalez. Erin Hoffman was unable to attend.
About California Rodeo Salinas
The California Rodeo Salinas will take place July 20-23, 2023. The California Rodeo Association is a not-for-profit organization that strives to preserve and promote the traditions of the California Rodeo Salinas and the West. We support the community and other non-profit organizations through the staging of the annual California Rodeo Salinas and other year-round operations of the Salinas Sports Complex. Through donation of our facility, vending and fundraising opportunities during Rodeo and other events, the California Rodeo Association returns over $560,000 annually to local non-profits. For more information about the California Rodeo Salinas, log on to www.CARodeo.com or call the California Rodeo Office at 831-775.3100. ‘Like’ the California Rodeo on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CARodeoSalinas or follow us on Instagram or twitter @CaliforniaRodeo for updates, photos and more.