Children First: Students tap into local scholarship opportunities

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Victor Martinez-Ambriz recovered currency for college, earning a afloat thrust to Fresno State.

"Both of my parents they're immigrants truthful financing assemblage was decidedly 1 of our biggest worries that we had erstwhile I was applying to college. So, erstwhile I recovered retired that I would get a afloat thrust it was decidedly a precise cathartic moment. I was precise relieved and I told my parents and we some cried connected the telephone due to the fact that it truly was specified a value disconnected of our shoulders," said Martinez-Ambriz.

There's afloat rides similar Martinez-Ambriz Smittcamp Family Honors Scholar programme and besides opportunities similar the Miss America scholarship.

"It feels to cognize that I won't beryllium going into assemblage perfectly struggling," said Taylor Usher.

The precocious schoolhouse inferior was precocious crowned Miss Fresno County's Teen -- and has already earned $3,200 towards her assemblage acquisition done the organization.

Her assemblage work inaugural of fueling done scholarships was inspired by her older sister being a firs- procreation assemblage student.

"Her travel to assemblage and trying to fig retired however to wage for assemblage from my parents from my family. We benignant of figured out, this is truly important - trying to fig retired however to wage for college, it's a hard happening to do," added Usher.

They are not unsocial arsenic determination are scholarships for everyone including from section precocious schools similar Sierra Pacific successful Hanford.

"Most of our scholarships I would accidental are astir 500 dollars a portion -- we person immoderate that are a thousand, immoderate 250. I deliberation we adjacent had 1 that was 100 dollars and they bash adhd up, it could beryllium substantial, " said O'Brien.

Other examples see authorities scholarships similar the California Table Grape Agricultural Scholarship -- oregon participating successful the yearly African American High School designation ceremonial -- wherever they astir precocious gave retired 144-thousand dollars successful funds.

"We don't ever get a large turnout of students that use and truthful we truly really promote our students to use due to the fact that its escaped wealth truthful if you are giving retired 144 1000 dollars a twelvemonth but lone 30 kids are applying, that wealth gets divided betwixt those 30 students," said Lisa Mitchell, the Co-Chair of the African American High School Recognition Ceremony.

High schoolhouse counselor's cognize it tin beryllium a batch to bash different exertion connected apical of regular assemblage apps -- but accidental conscionable 1 much effort tin marque a difference.

Andreina Tobin is the Bullard High School Counselor.

"There were sometimes scholarships that I didn't cognize if I qualified for oregon not, truthful its important to use adjacent if you're not to definite and I ended up getting them to my surprise. So its truly important that we enactment successful that other effort due to the fact that it volition beryllium worthy it successful the end," said Tobin.

For Martinez-Ambriz and Usher, they are testaments to however scholarships tin crook into savings.

"Fresno State is truly already an affordable schoolhouse -- truthful to person specified an astonishing assistance connected apical of it -- it truly did let maine to postgraduate indebtedness free," said Martinez-Ambriz.

Usher adds, "Students who bash privation to spell to assemblage and who bash privation prosecute higher acquisition shouldn't consciousness constricted by their fiscal burdens there's ever a way."

For quality updates, travel Brianna Willis connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.