Westlands Water District announces scholarships for six top west-side high school students

The recipients of the 2018 scholarships are:

Jack Foote, a senior at Lemoore High School. Mr. Foote is an honors student who plans on attending California State University, Fresno to pursue a degree in nursing. He is actively involved in football and baseball. He also volunteers 10 hours weekly at King's Nursing and Rehab and has received awards as a California Interscholastic Federation Scholar Athlete and is a California Scholarship Federation Lifetime Member.

Laila Rollin, a senior at Riverdale High School. Ms. Rollin plans to attend Cal Poly to pursue a degree in Agricultural Communication with a minor in Ag Business. She is an honors student and has received awards in numerous Future Farmers of America categories as well as academics. Additionally, she plays volleyball, golf and basketball.

Jelissa Medina, a senior at Coalinga High School. Ms. Medina plans to attend West Hills Community College to pursue a degree in Business and Marketing. She has received several awards for honor roll, first place for web page design in the 2018 Career Skills Challenge, Mock Trial, and is a member of the California Scholarship Federation. She is the Editor-in Chief of the Coalinga High School Magazine.

Lorena Lopez, a senior at Tranquillity High School. Ms. Lopez plans to attend the California State University, Fresno to pursue a degree in Social Work. She is an honors student and has held the positions of President and Secretary in the Upward Bound Program, has participated in ASB Leadership, and is a member of the California Scholarship Federation. She also participated in cross country and soccer throughout her high school years.

Maricruz Guillen, a senior at Mendota High School. Ms. Guillen is an honors student who plans on attending California State University, Fresno to pursue a degree in Nursing. She is involved in cross country and received awards for Superintendent's Honor Roll and MESA. Ms. Guillen also volunteers at the Mendota United Health Center and has an additional 150 hours of community service apart from volunteering at the clinic.

Wendy Moya, a senior at Firebaugh High School. Ms. Moya plans to attend the University of California, Berkeley to pursue a degree in English. She is an honors student who has participated in Academic Decathlon and is a member of the California Scholarship Federation and Future Farmers of America. Additionally, she has been involved in the Las Deltas Unified School District Migrant Program and Lock-it-Up Project.

Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,000 to be used for community college or university expenses. Applicants were judged on their academic performance, school activities and community leadership. Each applicant submitted an essay on an agricultural-related topic.

"Westlands is honored to provide this assistance for these outstanding student leaders," commented Tom Birmingham, general manager of Westlands. "These scholarships represent a small gesture of thanks and support to the communities on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley that make our region productive and vibrant. Our hope is that these students will continue to contribute to their communities and make them even better for future generations."