Our 2009 Winners (tied)

Crístofer Martínez

     I would like to thank all the people that gave me the opportunity to participate in this contest, and everyone that checked my essays before I sent them, and those who encouraged me and gave me the motivation I needed to finish all the essays that were required.

     This experience helped me develop good work habits because I learned to set aside time every day to work on my essays. It was tough, but all my hard work paid off. I committed myself to meeting the challenge and I succeeded in the end.

     The work that I did for this contest was helpful for other scholarships as well because they asked for this type of information. The Other Information part made up my resume.

     If there is any advice I would give to future participants it would be not to wait until the last minute to finish your essays, and to have different people read them to give you feedback. The best way to improve your essays is to hear other people’s comments about them, but to revise your work you need to finish ahead of time. Good luck to any of you who are up for the challenge!

     This scholarship paid almost $5,000 of my tuition. The staff from my alma mater, Hubbard High School, was so proud of me when I won the scholarship they decided to help me by contributing $4240 from their pockets. It wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the Dorothy Malaga Memorial Competition. Thank you again.

Noemi Bermúdez

     Being one of the winners of this scholarship is a blessing toward my college plans. Specifically, I plan on using the prize toward college books. I enjoyed applying because writing the essays was an amazing experience of reflection. At first I thought I couldn’t write that much about my life, but as I reached the conclusion of each essay I realized that I am special after all. It’s an acknowledgement that we should all come to for ourselves, especially by impacting others like Dorothy Malaga did.

     The submissions for this scholarship pay off in other ways even if you don’t win the cash prize. I found that the “more info” section was my resume, and I’ve been able to use it in college applications. Also, the essay topics are similar to those in college applications, so they helped me get ideas for those too.

     Future applicants, for this scholarship it is important to think the topics through completely. Never underestimate what you’ve done; what you may think is insignificant or natural may be something extraordinary for someone else. Another piece of advice is to not procrastinate. Start planning your essays and ask a teacher for a letter of recommendation as soon as possible.

     Best wishes to all of you. Thank you sponsors, judges, and anyone else involved with this act of kindness. Also, congratulations to everyone else who participated this year; we are all winners for caring about our education.

Mohammed Khalid

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my counselor, my teachers, and especially my parents for lending me their precious time to review my essays. I hope to use a major portion of the scholarship to mitigate the cost of the books at the university and use the rest to pay for tuition. Incorporating Dorothy Málaga's qualities into my own life appeared a burdensome task at first. However, as I recollected memories of my efforts and the results, the essays went through like a breeze. This scholarship was more of a lesson for me as I learned that even apparently-insignificant accomplishments hold a weight heavier than iron.

My sincere advice the future applicants: Never think what you have done for the benefit of others is irrelevant to the formation of your excellence. If your efforts have achieved anything for even a single person, then this scholarship is for you. Start your essays early and procrastinate months before the deadline! Give yourself a day or two to think about the essay topics and recall what you have done for others. Do not wait until the last minute and give more than enough time to your recommenders to frame your character in your recommendations.

Additionally, the Other Information section was basically my built-from-scratch resume and I used it in my college applications too. So make sure that that section summarizes your achievements, goals, and who you are, as a passionate seeker of knowledge - so even colleges get a deep insight of your personality. Good luck to all of you! Even if you do not win, remember that you eternally reward yourself (and others) by being a model for others. So continue upholding excellence and act upon the knowledge that you gain, both inside and outside of the classroom: continue following the footsteps of Mrs. Málaga!

My final thanks are to the scholarship's volunteers who were always there to answer my questions and, of course, to the judges for their patience, time, and consideration.