For the ninth annual Girls’ League of Diamond Bar High School Merit Scholarship Award, the school club awarded $1,500 to seven graduating seniors.

Five seniors Joshua Chen, Genevieve Cheung, Kayla Norys, Udori Okwandu, and Jennifer Wang were each given $100, while two seniors Jocelyn Hsu and Justin Park were each given $500. Each applicant had to go through an application and interview process with the advisor of Girls’ League, Lisa Pacheco, during the first week of May.

“This year the applicants were all very stellar individuals and it was very difficult to make a decision. I literally had to sleep on my decision overnight. They were all merit worthy candidates, and I wish we had more money to give away so that we could acknowledge them all,” Pacheco stated.

Girls’ League was looking for ideal candidates who were truly involved in helping the community and at school. Candidates had to turn in their application with a 300 to 500 word essay, a recent transcript, a resume reflecting their community service, a verification of acceptance or application to an accredited college or university program, and a letter of recommendation. Once Pacheco narrowed down the candidates, potential awardees at the time were contacted for an interview.

“I didn’t expect to get the $500 scholarship since a lot of amazing people applied, and I was really honored that Girls’ League thought I exemplified what it was looking for. Although no one does community service hoping for something in return, it’s always nice to be recognized for that hard work and commitment,” senior Jocelyn Hsu commented.

The seven seniors were announced as the scholarship winners on May 10 by Girls’ League.

“This was our ninth year of awarding scholarships. To date we have awarded $14,000 to graduating, college bound seniors, and the tradition will continue next year,” Pacheco said.