Organizacion Latino Americana of Eastern Long Island has named the six recipients of its scholarship awards, and among them are four recent East Hampton graduates: Briana Chavez, Vanessa Salome Galindo, Gabriela Jacome, and Bradley Rodriguez.
Briana will study animal and veterinary sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Vanessa plans to major in neuroscience on a pre-med track at Wesleyan University. Gabriela will study nuclear medicine technology at the State University at Buffalo, and
Bradley will study business administration and journalism at SUNY New Paltz. They will receive $4,500 for each year of study provided they maintain a 3.0 grade-point average. Juniors and seniors who have participated in OLA youth activities can apply for the scholarships, which are available to students attending two or four-year colleges or pursuing specialized vocational training. To date, the scholarships have been funded by Michael Donavan, an OLA board member, and his wife, Linda, but this year the nonprofit launched an effort to encourage Latino business owners and community leaders to also support the scholarship fund through its Creating Legacies initiative.
Also receiving scholarships this year are Luis Tapia and Daniel Rivas from Greenport.
“I’m so impressed with our scholarship recipients,” Minerva Perez, OLA’s executive director, said in a release. “They have such varied interests, strengths, and talents. They’re like a microcosm of the potential and strength of our entire community.”