Three Sac High Students Receive Scholarships from University of the Pacific and McGeorge School of Law
June 02, 2005For Immediate Release - June 2, 2005 - Sacramento, CA
Contact: Janet Konttinen, 916.739.7047
 Left to right, R. Segura, M. Sanchez, C. Lockhart. |
The University of the Pacific and McGeorge School of Law have awarded scholarships to three Sacramento Charter High School students. Mariel Sanchez, 18, Rosanna Segura, 17, and Caryn Lockhart, 18, will graduate from Sac High’s School of Law & Public Service, one of five small schools on the campus, and enroll at University of the Pacific’s Stockton campus for the Fall 2005 semester.
Mariel Sanchez is the first-ever recipient of the Clarence S. Brown Scholarship, which funds four years at University of the Pacific’s campus in Stockton followed by three years at Pacific McGeorge in Sacramento. Sanchez came to the U.S. from Mexico in 1999 at the age of 14. Knowing only Spanish, she enrolled at Kit Carson Middle School where she graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and fluency in English.
Sanchez is currently a volunteer translator at the Pacific McGeorge Immigration Clinic, whose clients receive free legal assistance. “I’ve learned a lot working at the clinic,” says Sanchez. “It’s unfortunately often the women who are most abused -- mentally, sexually. They’re told they will get good jobs in America and that everything will work out, but that’s hardly ever true. I’ve learned that people who come to this country want to work.” Sanchez’s career plan includes becoming an immigration attorney. “If I become a great lawyer, I can make a difference,” she explains. “That’s what I’d like to do.”
Rosanna Segura, a Sacramento native, is only the second member in her family to finish high school and will be the first family member to attend college. She has been awarded a full scholarship for her first year at Pacific, and plans to reapply for scholarship support the following three years. She anticipates graduating from Sac High with a cumulative 3.2 GPA. “I plan to major in Criminal Justice because I want to be in the FBI,” says Segura. “It’s the type of profession that requires a lot of discipline. I know there will be a new challenge everyday. I want to major in history too, because I’ve always found it so interesting.”
Segura and Sanchez plan to live together on campus at Pacific. “Mariel is in charge of decorating,” grins Segura. “There’s even a Hispanic sorority; we’d like to check that out, too.”
The third scholarship recipient, Caryn Lockhart, has attended Sac High for four years and will finish with a 3.5 GPA. “When the school called my mom to tell her about the scholarship, she screamed so loud, you could hear her two blocks away,” chuckles Lockhart. “She put a sign on the front door that says ‘My daughter got into Pacific’.”
“My speech teacher here at Sac High taught me how to speak in public, and also how to communicate with family and friends,” explains Lockhart. “She cares about our future. I’ll always keep in touch with her.” Lockhart will study Early Childhood Education at Pacific’s Benerd School of Education. She continues, “I’m going to be an elementary school teacher. I’m going to be one of those unforgettable teachers.”
These three students have already seen a lot in their young lives. “University of the Pacific is a violence-free zone,” beams Sanchez. “It’s beautiful. It’s going to feel good to live there.”
As the students prepare for their futures at Pacific, Sanchez credits her up-bringing for her early successes. “I don’t think any of this would be possible if it weren’t for my mom,” she said. “She’s a single mother and taught me the values of honesty and hard work. I want everyone to know she’s the reason all these good things are happening to me.”
Sacramento Charter High School is a branch of St. HOPE Public Schools, a Sacramento non-profit organization that also operates an elementary school in the Oak Park neighborhood that surrounds Pacific McGeorge. Pacific McGeorge School of Law partners with St. HOPE and other educational entities to develop an educational pipeline for underprivileged children from pre-school to postgraduate school.
