By Ryan Pagelow
STAFF WRITER

WAUKEGAN —The Schuler Family Foundation gave out scholarships to 30 Waukegan High School freshman last Wednesday. The 30 Schuler scholars add to the already 57 scholars that have received the $20,000 scholarship that can be used to obtain a bachelor's degree in any university.

"We're very impressed with our new group of Schuler scholars. It was not easy to choose 30 students from the group of more than 100 excellent applications that we received," said Soledad Boyle, program director of the foundation.

Alberto Alvarez, 15, said he was shocked when we received the phone call earlier this month that he was one of the scholarship winners.

"Before I wasn't sure if I was going to go to college," Alvarez said. He plans to be the first in his family to go to college.

"My parents have always been very supportive of me going to school. Nowadays you can't be much in life if you don't go to college," Alvarez said.

Teresa Fabila, 15, said she told her parents right away when she found out she received the scholarship. "They've been supporting me all the way. They're so proud of me. I'm makes me happy to see them," Fabila said.

She said getting the scholarship as a freshman, as opposed to as a senior, is encouraging her to work harder while in high school.

"If prepares you to do better, not just when you're a senior. It builds your self-esteem. You feel very proud that you get it as such an early age," Fabila said.

All the scholars will have to attend a four-day leadership camp each summer, attend courses on the ACT and SAT exams, and are assigned a mentor. Also, to stay in the program they are required to increase their GPA each semester.

The scholarship winners this year are: Alberto Alvarez, Rogelio Arizmendi, Crystal Austin, Byron Brantley, Arvin Canda, Jenessa Connelly, Alicia Conover, Karina Cortéz, Brittany Doxie, Maria Estrada, Teresa Fabila, Analise Harris, Geraldine Hernández, Daniel Hernández, Jennifer Jensen, Jesse Kempf, Matthew Klosinski, Erik Pasillas, Rob Petrusky, Eric Pierce, Elizabeth Pottala, Kaytlen Prusha, Mary Quintans, John Rasmussen, Victoria Shaw, Sierra Shipley, Colin Swanson, Elizabeth Teliz, Sharissa Tobias and Simone Wright.

The scholars receive the $5,000 scholarship each year for four years after graduating Waukegan High School , which is paid directly to the university. The scholars are automatically readmitted to the program each semester that they maintain the program requierments, which include getting a minimum GPA, contacting their mentor monthly and having good school conduct. Since the program started in 2002, the Schuler Family Foundation has given out 87 scholarships to Waukegan High School students, totaling $1,740,000.

03/24/04 La Luz (Suburban Chicago News)