By Carrie Click
Alpine Bank scholarships are providing funds for 14 graduates of Western Slope high schools to attend Colorado Mountain College this fall. Today’s Alpine Bank Scholar story features three scholarship recipients from western Garfield County: Larisa Cruz of Rifle High School, Jennifer Gomez of Coal Ridge High School and Francisco Muneton from Grand Valley High School.
Since 1996, more than 180 graduating high school seniors have received Alpine Bank Latino/Hispanic Scholarships to attend Colorado Mountain College. This year, 14 more students received news that Alpine Bank will cover the cost of their tuition, fees and textbooks for two years.
Three western Garfield County students are included in that group. Without Alpine Bank’s financial assistance, Larisa Cruz of Rifle High School, Jennifer Gomez of Coal Ridge High School and Francisco Muneton of Grand Valley High School might not have been able to pursue a college education. With this help, all three are college-bound.
To be considered for these specialized scholastic awards, students must be of Latino/Hispanic descent, classify as an in-district Colorado Mountain College student, have at least a 2.5 GPA and demonstrate financial need, among other criteria. Each scholarship equals $2,200 a year.
‘The key to success’
During her final year at Rifle High School, Larisa Cruz was not only the homecoming queen, she was also the senior class president. It may seem as though she has led a charmed life, but she has overcome more in her young life than many could imagine enduring.
Cruz was born in the U.S. to Mexican immigrants. After her father was deported back to Mexico, her mother, Lidia Flores, was left raising four daughters and foreclosure followed.
Even though Flores didn’t finish ninth grade, she taught her daughter how to read in Spanish, and soon Cruz was devouring books, in part to escape her difficult life. And as she cared for her younger sisters, she helped them with their homework and realized she liked to teach.
Today, Cruz has set her sights on earning a four-year degree and becoming an elementary school teacher.
“I want to become a teacher because I believe that education is the key to success,” she said.
Kyle Mickelson, Cruz’s history teacher, agrees with her.
“I am extremely proud of her and I will miss her, but I know that she will be very successful in life,” he wrote in his letter of recommendation for Cruz to receive an Alpine Bank scholarship.
‘An incredibly strong will’
Jennifer Gomez has a clear idea of what she wants to do with her life.
“My dream down the road is to own my own restaurant,” she said. “To get ready for this, I want to get my bachelor’s degree in business.”
This New Castle resident now has a way to do that. In the fall, she’ll begin working toward a degree at Colorado Mountain College thanks to the Alpine Bank scholarship she has earned.
Gomez’s family is large – her parents and four siblings – and during her senior year in high school, she and her father were the only family members working. True to her interest in restaurants, Gomez works at Subway and volunteers at a number of nonprofits including the CARE animal shelter, Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers and the Rifle Senior Center.
“Being first in her family to attend college, she is extremely motivated to begin her education at Colorado Mountain College,” wrote Krisan Crow, the director of Upward Bound at Coal Ridge High School, a program locally sponsored by CMC.
Despite obstacles, Gomez is known for her optimism and ready smile, traits that will serve her well as she continues her education at CMC.
“What strikes me the most about Jenny is her positive attitude,” wrote Crow. “She has an incredibly strong will.”
‘So grateful’
When Francisco Muneton received the phone call informing him that he’d earned an Alpine Bank scholarship, it was a memorable experience.
“They called looking for me,” he said. “I was nervous, and then they told me I was a recipient. I felt so blessed. I’m really so grateful.”
Muneton has been in the United States for 10 years and has assimilated himself as a strong leader and student. He’s served in leadership roles with the Key Club, Diversity Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and impressed those around him.
“Francisco has the ability to succeed at whatever level he chooses in college and beyond,” wrote Kim Whelan, Muneton’s science teacher. “He is truly an exceptional student.”
Muneton is no stranger to CMC. He takes concurrent enrollment classes from the college, and his older sister Wendy is working toward an associate degree. They will be the first in their family to graduate from college.
Juggling school, a job and extracurricular activities is standard for Muneton, and his experience balancing his life should serve him well as he progresses on to higher education and his work life.
He says that someday he would like a career that touches on sociology and law.