Every December, the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) education committee invites its college scholarship students and their guests to a pizza party. The event, held at Kids’ Closet in Mammoth, is an opportunity for SBCO to recognize the students’ academic achievements and for the students to visit with their education committee liaison and other students. The event is timed to coincide with the students’ winter break when many come home to visit family for the holidays.

This year, 32 students registered to attend the party, with many joined by family members and friends. In addition to the students and their guests, the event was attended by members of the SBCO education committee and their spouses and scholarship endowment fund donors for a total of 85 attendees.

Two scholarship students, Aracely Aguirre and Amaya Sommer, each spoke about how their SBCO scholarship has been important to their academic success. In addition to the money SBCO provides, their education committee liaison offered support as they adjusted to campus life and the academic demands of college. Amaya Sommer is currently attending the University of Arizona and Aracely Aguirre is a Central Arizona College student. She will take this spring semester off to prepare for applying to nursing school.

Amber Walden, Principal of Mammoth San Manuel PreK-12 Schools also spoke to the attendees, “I truly appreciate SBCO for their scholarship contributions to San Manuel High School and all the students from surrounding districts. These scholarship funds make a big impact for our students, helping them for their housing costs, their college books, resources and supplies. Some students have been able to use these resources for transportation. These are the items that often get overlooked and really help make a difference in a student’s success while they attend college.”

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