Outstanding Academics and Leadership Merit Award for Two Graduates
SAN ANTONIO, May 19
Good Samaritan Community Services (GSCS) will present Lanier High School graduates, Adriana Cardenas and Fatima Hernandez, with the Helen and Everett Jones Scholar’s Award in an end of year celebration taking place on Thursday, May 26 at 6:00 p.m.
“In addition to academic achievement and promise, The Helen and Everett Jones Scholar’s Award is presented to students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and service to GSCS, their school, and their community,” Jill Oettinger, GSCS Chief Executive Officer, said.
Ms. Cardenas and Ms. Hernandez will both attend Texas A&M University this fall. The Jones Scholar’s Award will provide each of them with a weekly stipend of $100 to cover any non-tuition expenses, including food, clothing, or books.
All high school seniors enrolled in the GSCS college preparatory program are eligible to apply. The application process, modeled after that of the Gates Millennium Scholarship, is rigorous and competitive. In addition to the nine page application, students must submit personal statements, two letters of recommendation, and participate in a formal interview with the selection committee. Applicants are expected to be leaders in their schools and to have made a significant impact in their community. Of this year’s five finalists, Ms. Cardenas and Ms. Hernandez stood out as the most outstanding among a group of highly accomplished seniors.
Ms. Hernandez and Ms. Cardenas are both enrolled in the International Banking and Business Magnet program at Lanier High School and are involved in a long list of extra-curricular activities. Ms. Hernandez is Vice President of the National Honor Society, President of the National Technical Honor Society, and President of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Ms. Cardenas is a member of Student Council, Vice President of G-Force (a peer education component of a college preparation program), and is Battalion Commander for the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Both young women are also accomplished musicians, playing for the Lanier Orchestra and Mariachi group, as well as assisting teachers with the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio program at GSCS.
About Good Samaritan Community Services
For sixty years, Good Samaritan Community Services (GSCS) has been a positive presence on the west side of San Antonio. What began in 1951 as an outreach project of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church is now a non-profit organization serving thousands of people each year across San Antonio and South Texas. Today, GSCS operates a nationally accredited child development program, after-school and summer youth enrichment programs, a college preparatory program, youth employment training, family services, and a nationally accredited senior center. GSCS’s mission, changing lives through excellent community services, is carried out through the delivery of these programs which are designed to foster education, character development, healthy living, and self-sufficiency.
