Typically held on unforgettable nights inside the Heritage cafeteria, this year’s Local Scholarship Night was a tad bit different than the rest. Life for the graduating seniors of 2020 hasn’t been the same as the previous generations ever since they were let out for spring break, most of the seniors anticipating that they would come back to see everyone one last time.

   Due to the Corona Virus affecting large gatherings, many events had to either be canceled or virtual until further notice. This included the highly anticipated Local Scholarship Night that had to be moved online onto a video format.

     The video announcing the scholarship recipients was posted to the Heritage High School website on May 12 for one night only. Carrie Wells, the school’s principal, hosted the video.

     In total, approximately 39 organizations came together, individually, to provide scholarship money towards the graduates. These awards ranged from $100 to $450, depending on the amount an organization could provide.

     One of the many winners that night was Camille Partain (12). Studying at San Diego State University this fall, she had many expenses that would come with the big move to southern California.

     “I applied to sixteen scholarships and it probably took around seven hours in total to complete them all,” explained Partain.

     Through all the hard work and countless hours though, she managed to score four scholarship awards. Even though most of the scholarships helped financially towards University-like education, there was one award in particular that helped students complete a secondary education in a trade-like career.

     This award was named the ‘Leland W. Hancock “Good Kid”’ award and was donated by the Hancock Family. One of the winners of the winners of this special award was Janet Chavez (12).

     “My plan after high school is enrolling in Contra Costa Medical Career College… because I want to become a Medical Administrative assistant which has to do with scheduling and receiving patients,” gushed Chavez.

     Many students at Heritage are grateful for the existence of this local scholarship program due to the competitiveness of scholarships outside of the community. Kolade Ogunfunmi (12) was one of the many winners of these scholarship awards.

     “With local scholarships, you can safely know that you can win because there is a smaller population fighting for it and it’s from your own community. With online ones, it feels like a lottery with almost no chance of winning,” claimed Ogunfunmi.

     At the end of the day, every senior that gets the chance to apply for these awards should. You never know what could come out of trying.