Scholarships from Credit Unions

Bay Federal Credit Union, Capitola, Calif., announced the winners of the credit union’s two annual scholarship awards: The Making a Real Difference scholarship, a $1,000 award, is  given to local students in pursuit of higher education with goals to make a difference in their communities . The Mac McCormac Employee scholarship, a $500 award, is named for Norman McCormac, Bay Federal’s first paid employee who worked for the credit union in the 1960s and 1970s. This $500 award is granted to a Bay Federal employee who is enrolled in an educational program outside of regular duties at the credit union. In all, three students and two employees were chosen to receive this year’s awards. Winners of the Making a Real Difference scholarship awards were Alejandra Vaca-Perez, Jack Wilkins and Holly Borg. Vaca-Perez is a graduate student pursuing her masters of social work at San Jose State University. Wilkins, a senior at Monte Vista Christian School, will be attending either Azusa Pacific or Long Beach State University this fall. Borg, a senior at Santa Cruz High School, plans to become a medical doctor so that she may serve AIDs patients in Africa as part of Doctors Without Borders. Winners of the McCormac scholarship were Anna Schweikert, and Janene Adema. Schweikert is a financial services representative with Bay Federal’s call center. She is pursuing a degree in business from Cabrillo College. Adema, business development manager for in the mortgage loan department, is enrolled in the clinical psychology master’s degree program at Simpson University.

Black Hills Federal Credit Union, Rapid City, S.D., announced the recipients of the 2012 VIBZ scholarships. The four high school seniors were selected from more than 50 applicants from 19 area schools in western and central South Dakota. Each will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The recipients are members of Black Hills FCU’s VIBZ teen program which is designed to promote financial literacy among young adults and assist them in effectively managing their personal finances. The recipients were Megan Schlosser, Central High School in Rapid City, who plans on attending University of South Dakota; Cassidy Trapp, T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, who plans on attending South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; Sara Stewart, home schooled in Rapid City, who plans on attending Western Dakota Technical Institute; and William Hendricks, Stevens High School in Rapid City, who plans on attending Iowa State University.