Three Raiders Earn Gates Scholarships

GatesBy Reigna Rondares

 

Three graduating Raiders, Ernesto Alcantar, Uriel De Monteverde and Daniel Quintana Menjivar, have been awarded with the Gates Millennium Scholarship for 2016.

To earn the full-ride scholarship, the three scholars put their time and effort into writing eight essays on various topics and needed letters from recommenders and nominators.

According to Alcantar the process was “really tiresome and stressful.” He had to work on all of his essays for about two weeks straight.

“I really had to dig deep to answer some of the prompts that they gave,” said Alcantar, who will attend the University of Pennsylvania in the fall. “It was exhilarating to know that my efforts in high school did not go to waste, and that I was lucky enough to receive the ultimate reward.”

Not only were the essays hard enough but having to figure out who would give him the best letters of recommendation was a thoughtful process.

As Alcantar’s nominator, Ms. Mona Piñon, his freshman English teacher, had to write two essays and a recommendation. She focused her essays on Alcantar’s “motivation, ability to balance academics, athletics and volunteerism, as well as his incredible intellect and intellectual curiosity.”

Not only that but she made sure that the selection committee understood how driven Alcantar is and included his accomplishments, such as being a CI representative to Boys State.

“Ernesto is an incredibly gifted student and an exceptional person,” Ms. Piñon said. “I am looking forward to all of his future successes.”
De Monteverde, who will attend UCLA, applied to this scholarship knowing that there was no way that she and her aunt would be able to afford putting her through college.

“I wanted to relieve my whole family of stress and anxiety and make it easier for everyone,” De Monteverde said.

Thinking it was some sick joke being played on her, De Monteverde didn’t know how to react when she received her package. That day, she went straight home knowing that the Gates Scholars were being notified, when she saw the package. She immediately started crying.

“I sat for a bit and realized it was real,” she said. “I then thanked everyone who has been with me through everything.”

As De Monteverde’s recommender, Mr. David Corona, her AP Physics teacher, states that, “It’s a high anxiety process that takes a stronger understanding of a student than usual, but Uriel has more than enough outstanding qualities.”

When Menjivar became a finalist, he kept it a secret for two reasons.
“I thought that would mark the end of how far I would get in the process and I wanted it to be a secret in a day and age where everything is divulged online immediately without reflection,” he said.

Gates was only one scholarship from a long list of scholarships he had applied for during the last few months.

“I needed all the help I could get financially,” he said.

Recently receiving his Gates package, Menjivar was in disbelief but was immediately washed over with gratitude.

“Frankly I myself am amazed that I’ve made it this far,” he said.
The hardships of rejection from some of the universities he had applied to sealed his own fate. He thought, “There’s no way I’m winning Gates.”

By the end of the day, his face hurt because of smiling all day long, stating that it was, “some of the best pain I’ve enjoyed in all my life.”
AsMenjivar’s recom-mender, Ms. Sarah Eglitis states that Daniel was her first Gates Millennium Scholar.

“I was quite nervous since I knew this was an opportunity of a lifetime for him,” she said.

For those who have not been around Menjivar, he is quiet but is a natural leader.

“He never sees only the surface of an issue but the many layers,” Ms. Eglitis said.

She also mentioned the the selfless way he gives his time.

“Daniel is an incredible student and there was no shortage of praise to write,” she added.

Menjivar plan to attend Cal State Channel Islands in the fall.