Academy 4 awarded four high school seniors the Full Circle Scholarship. Nicole Padron, Elodia Perez, Josilin Pozos and Marilin Pozos each received a $2,000 scholarship. The soon-to-be graduates were eligible for the scholarship due to their participation as mentees when they were in fourth grade and service as mentors for two years during their junior and senior years.
Sisters Pozos and Pozos will graduate from Paschal High School on June 18 and Padron and Perez will graduate from Western Hills High School on June 20. They have served their communities well by mentoring fourth graders while navigating the challenges of academics and other commitments during a pandemic.
As part of their application, each scholarship recipient was required to include an essay response answering the question of how serving with Academy 4 will serve them well in the future. “The things you least expect are oftentimes, the things that impact your life the most. Academy 4 has definitely affected my life in many ways, back in fourth grade and now, again, in my years of high school,” said Marilin Pozos, a Full Circle Scholarship recipient. “My experience in this program will allow me to build bonds with my future patients and get them to interact with me while making them feel better physically and emotionally.” Pozos plans to pursue a career as a radiation therapist. With graduation fast approaching, each scholarship recipient is eager for the next steps in their academic careers. Nicole Padron will be attending Swarthmore College, Elodia Perez will be attending Boston College on a full-ride scholarship, Josilin Pozos will be attending Texas Women’s University and Marilin Pozos will be attending Tarrant County College.
“When reflecting on my experience as a mentor, I realized that I had lost that little spark that I used to carry. Spending time with a 4th grader who has big aspirations, dreams, and assurance that they can accomplish anything led me to realize that I needed to start thinking about my future with a different perspective. I still had some thoughts that said I was dreaming a little too big.
However, without my experience as a mentor, I would not have realized that I did. Learning to become more confident in myself and then realizing that I can accomplish anything I want has already changed me as a person. I look forward to carrying this lesson wherever I go and seeing how this will continue to change my life.”
