Faces of the Future

Meet a few of the OCF scholarship recipients who will shape the future of Oregon. They’re a diverse set of students from every corner of the state.

Mazirati Aguilar

Recipient of the NLN Ella McKinney Scholarship and Gray Community College Scholarship

Northern Willamette Valley

“My name is Mazirati Aguilar and I am 21 years old. I was raised by my single mother in the small town of Jefferson. I have always lived in Jefferson, and my parents immigrated into the United States in search of a better future for their family. They are the reason I have all these opportunities, which I don’t take for granted. I cherish their sacrifices. I am pursuing a career in Nursing and have completed most of my prerequisites for Nursing at Chemeketa Community College. This year I will have three tutoring jobs, be a full-time student and work as a CNA full time, which excites me. This scholarship reminds me that there are other people out there that believe in me and my dreams of one day becoming a Public Health Nurse. I will never forget those who believe in me and my dreams.”

Victor Rincon Angel

Recipient of the Rod & Lori Ray Scholarship 

Central Oregon

“I would like to thank you for your generosity. It has been my dream to attend a four-year college to get my degree, and thanks to you, that dream has come within my grasp. With this scholarship, I can focus on my studies and less on money. I am looking forward to this upcoming school year and will strive to do my absolute best.”

Joshua Becerra

Recipient of the Doerfler Newport High School Scholarship 

North Coast 

“I want to express a deep and genuine thank you for believing in my academic and career goals enough to aide me in paying for my education. With all the struggles relating to school (studying for exams, doing homework, etc.), paying for my education is something I won't have to worry as much about thank to this generous scholarship. I already work hard to make it through, but knowing I have people who are willing to invest in my education gives me even more reason to do the best I possibly can. Once again, I thank you for this opportunity and could not be happier I was chosen for this opportunity.”

Justin Cao

Recipient of the Sauber & Mills Scholarship

Metro Portland

Justin is majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics at the University of Portland. “I am the first in my family to pursue a higher education which is empowering for me because I want to build a better life for me and my family. Although I am proud to be a first-generation college student, I felt overwhelmed because my parents didn’t know of the resources that were available to me, so I had to look for them on my own. Receiving this scholarship has reduced the financial burden on my parents and lessened my financial stress on college tuition. The scholarship has allowed me to spend more time studying to maintain my GPA. Having more time to study the material has also better prepared me to apply my knowledge in the real world.”

Dru Draper

Recipient of the Margaret E. Hull Scholarship

Southern Willamette Valley 

“My name is Dru Draper. I graduated from Santiam Christian High School in Adair Village, Oregon, and I am studying Economics and Politics at Willamette University. I received the Margaret E. Hull Scholarship from the Oregon Community Foundation, which not only has helped put me through college, but put me on track to graduate early! I am so grateful to OCF for blessing me with a scholarship to make all of my dreams possible. It has helped more than you can possibly know. Going into an expensive school like Willamette is not easy to do, but when you bring in scholarships like ones from OCF, it makes it a lot more manageable and make you a lot more confident that you can do it.”

Ashley Hall

Recipient of the Dorothy Heagy Scholarship

South Coast

“When I opened my email, I was in tears at work upon discovering that I was selected as the recipient of the Dorothy Heagy Scholarship. I was concerned with the high cost of post-secondary education and did not want to graduate with student loan debt while becoming a teacher. This award has changed the course of my life, and I am eternally grateful to be able to accomplish my goals and dreams of a career in education. I plan to finish my degree and licensure in three more years and want to continue on with a graduate program before teaching full-time in rural Oregon. Dorothy’s generosity has inspired me to “pay it forward” and give back to my community. I will strive to honor Dorothy Heagy’s name and help my future students achieve their goals just as she has helped me.”

Shawn Sorenson

Recipient of the Franz Stenzel M.D. and Kathryn Stenzel Scholarship Fund

Southern Oregon

Shawn Sorensen is pursuing a Psychology Major and Spanish Minor at Southern Oregon University (SOU). At SOU, Shawn is a program assistant with the Community of Recovery in Education (CORE) program and coordinates events and meetings for students who identify as people in recovery from substance abuse disorders. Last fall, Shawn started an internship at Kolpia Counseling Agency in Ashland, in order to become a licensed counselor. “The scholarship I am receiving has made an impact in my life beyond measure.  Because of this award I have not had to worry about working full-time and being a full-time student. I have also been able to spend quality time with my children outside of working part-time and being a full-time student. I don’t have words to express the gratitude that I have for having been awarded this scholarship.”

Ulises Trujillo

Recipient of the Corr Family Education Fund

Eastern Oregon 

“My name is Ulises Trujillo Garcia, and I am pursuing a major in civil engineering. My parents are my inspiration to fight for my dreams and for all the things that are right in this world. Born and raised in San Miguel Laderas, Mexico, my parents allowed me to come to the United States legally at the age of fifteen. Coming to this country was the most significant challenge I have ever faced in my life; I had to learn a new language and adapt to a new culture. I have come to understand that the most significant barrier for me to go to college was not my lack of knowledge about college, having my family away for a few months migrating to work in seasonal farm jobs or the fact that English is my second language. The biggest obstacle was my financial status. By receiving this scholarship, I will be able to continue with my education and contribute to my community without stressing about how I will pay for tuition, books, rent, and food.”