Roseville and Rocklin graduates receive SAFE Awards Scholarships

Annual scholarship awards

Roseville, Calif. – SAFE Credit Union is awarding $2,000 in scholarships each to three Placer County high school graduates this year.

Rocklin High School graduate Olivia Moniz, Roseville High School graduate Grace Gonzales, and Whitney High School graduate John Hayes each received the awards as part of the credit union’s annual scholarship awards.

This year SAFE shared its commitment to improving the lives of its members through education by awarding $24,000 in scholarships to Moniz, Gonzales, Hayes and nine other recipients also living in Amador, El Dorado, and Sacramento counties.

Doubling its annual award from previous years, SAFE gave each recipient a $2,000 scholarship.

“Congratulations to this year’s remarkable group of scholarship award winners. We are proud to support you in your educational journey toward rewarding and fulfilling careers.”

Faye Nabhani, SAFE Credit Union President and CEO

Criteria

SAFE offers 10 high school scholarships to its members and to two SAFE employee family members each year. Both scholarships were awarded based on grade point average, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. Member scholarships were also awarded based on financial need.

Olivia Moniz, Rocklin High School graduate

Rocklin resident Moniz plans to attend the University of California, Davis in the fall. In her statement she says she plans to study Spanish and major in psychology to help people in her community.

“Volunteering and participating in past projects has made me realize the necessity of individuals collaborating to improve the lives of their communities,” she writes. “No matter how small an action may seem, I would argue that the impact goes far beyond that of the action itself.”

Grace Gonzales, Roseville High School Graduate

Roseville resident Grace Gonzales plans to attend California State University, Long Beach, where she plans to study chemistry and become a pharmacist. At Roseville High, Gonzales was active in the school’s Project Lead the Way’s Biological Science that “unlocked a true passion for what I want to do as a future career.”

“What stuck with me the most was the antibiotic resistance unit where we examined different bacteria strains and their reactions to varying antibiotics,” she says in her statement. “That is when my brain lit up with what I wanted my future to hold.”

John Hayes, Whitney High School graduate

Rocklin resident John Hayes plans to attend California State University, Chico in the fall, and hopes to either pursue engineering or becoming a doctor. In his statement he writes about how education will enhance his ability to give back to his community.

“The pursuit of higher education grants me access to crucial knowledge and expertise that I can employ in service of my community, by volunteering or engaging in projects focused on enriching the lives around me,” writes Hayes.

SAFE Awards

Since first offering the scholarships more than 20 years ago, SAFE has awarded over $200,000 to students living in the 13 Northern California counties the credit union serves.

To be eligible, high school applicants must attend schools in Alameda, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. Scholarships not awarded to employee-related high schoolers, must themselves, or a parents or guardians, be members of SAFE.

SAFE annually gives the awards as part of its commitment to the credit union principle to share its success with communities, as well as its three pillars of philanthropy: education, health and veterans.