OAKHURST – More than 200 people attended Yosemite High School’s Community Awards night on Monday, May 6, where 77 graduating seniors were invited to be onstage to receive over $100,000 toward their college education.
The criteria for receiving a community award are that the student plans to continue their education, and awards are given for both college and vocational school.The Yosemite High School Scholarship Foundation and individual members of the community gave out tens of thousands worth of awards to deserving students over the course of an exciting and profitable evening.
“These are gifts from our community to help with college and continuing education,” says Awards Coordinator Jeanne Ratchford. “When a student is invited to be part of the ceremony, it means they are receiving at least one award. The students are onstage at the theater, facing the audience, and the sponsors – that is, donors – rotate through the night, presenting to the students.”
In most cases, students have turned over transcripts, letters of recommendation and an essay when they apply for a particular award, so the sponsors know the recipients to at least some degree, and in many cases speak directly to the students when giving the award.
“The evening is very touching,” Ratchford says.
Here are the generous sponsor who donated, and the deserving students who received them:
