Scholarship Program | Assistance League

Assistance League Sierra Foothills’ SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM consists of a Community Service Scholarship and Advantage Scholarship. The Community Service Scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who are enrolled in El Dorado County schools and active in community service. The Advantage Scholarships are given to individuals who have overcome significant challenges (family, financial, medical, emotional, etc.) in their lives. Scholarship recipients may choose to attend a trade school, a community college, or a four-year college/university.

The program began in 2014 with one scholarship award; we now have multiple scholarship awards annually. During the designated submission period, students begin their application process through the CALocalscholarships.org website. Assistance League receives and reviews the applications and then rates and prioritizes the candidates before making a final selection. Scholarship recipients are notified through their respective schools and given the scholarship during the schools’ award ceremonies.

Since its inception nine years ago almost $59,000 has been awarded through the SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM to outstanding local graduates who have enriched and improved the lives of others or individuals in need of assistance.

Community Service Scholarship & Advantage Scholarship Recipients

2024 - 2025 Scholarship Award Winners!

Please click here to view a photo album of our 2024-25 Scholarship winners.

Advantage Scholarship

Aracely Garcia

El Dorado High School

This young lady has experienced family health issues, economic, and personal family challenges. She has not allowed these formidable challenges to become barriers to achieving a great deal in her high school years. In addition to an outstanding academic record , she has been involved as co-founder of the Science Olympiad and served four years as its president. She’s involved in leadership activities, leader of Link Crew, and serves as Project Marketing Manager for Trojan Sports. Her teachers say her most gifted traits are her grace and resiliency. She will be attending U. C. Davis to pursue a degree in psychology.

Community Service Scholarship

Sage Pittman

El Dorado High School

Sage Pittman is an exceptional young man who has an excellent academic record and has been heavily involved in numerous extra curricular activities at his school. He is very sports oriented and has been the captain of the JV and Varsity football teams as well as ski team captain. He also participates in the EDHS Commitment Club, Inclusion Club, and the Adult Transition Program. His community service that was most impressive to our selection committee was his ability to impact the lives of special needs students. He has helped students develop workplace skills for future careers through his involvement in the Adult Transition Program. He also coaches students to participate in sporting events and this is often their first opportunity to participate in competitive sports. His gentle demeanor and patience make him especially effective in working with special needs students. He plans to pursue a degree in environmental science or forestry with a personal goal of directly impacting and protecting our natural resources for future generations.

Advantage Scholarship

Chloe Pop

Ponderosa High School

As a Ponderosa High School student, Chloe excelled in academics and extra-curricular involvement while also learning to live with a difficult personal condition. She distinguished herself as a hardworking student receiving a GPA of 4.0 and above for four consecutive semesters, all the while participating in school sports, church activities, and volunteerism in the community. Additionally, she managed to run a business selling secondhand clothes online. One of her Advanced Placement instructors wrote about her, “When I write letters of recommendation, I always think, ‘would I hire this student to work for me?’” He concludes, “I would be proud to hire her for any position.”

Advantage Scholarship

Isabella Hampton-Teiber

Ponderosa High School

During her high school career, Isabella participated in numerous sports and community service endeavors. She did this while dealing with the illness and eventual death of her toddler sister. Not only did she excel academically, receiving an overall GPA of 4.2+, but was paid as a personal assistant and student tutor as well. One of her instructors wrote about Isabella, “My classes were better because she was there.” Another wrote, “She is a teacher’s dream and gives 110% to everything she does.” It was also noted that she demonstrated resilience and the ability to push through even when life is not always fair or easy.

Advantage Scholarship

Marina MacPherson

Golden Sierra High School

A Golden Sierra High School student who dealt with a challenging family situation and still has an outstanding academic record for which she has received numerous awards. She has been active in many extracurricular activities including varsity sports and still found time to work in her community whether it be at the school blood drive or tutoring a student. She plans to start a community college for general education and transfer to Chico State to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Education.

Community Service Scholarship

Ariana Thakur

Oak Ridge High School

Ariana Thakur is a dedicated and thoughtful student. She has a passion to learn. This has been proven through all her extra-Curricular Activities. An example, is her dedication and commitment in Girl Scouts. In 11th grade, she received a Gold Award teaching other girls coding. She raised $4000 and purchased chrome books then donated to El dorado Hills Library. By her senior year she became Girl CS Ambassador. In 12th grade , she was a student during the summer at Stanford University Neuroscience JClub. She also was in a internship at Marshall Hospital with ThinkNeuro . This has led her to pursue a future in biological science. She will be attending U.C. Davis.

Community Service Scholarship

Sophie Summinoto

Oak Ridge High School

Sophia helped establish a Peer Advocacy program to help incoming high school freshman successfully transition into high school and help identify the early signs of of mental health problems in underclassmen. She was able to obtain a $40,000 grant to implement the program over three years, along with keeping an outstanding grade point average.

Advantage Scholarship

Ellie James

Elevated Digital Learning Academy South Lake Tahoe

Having medical issues growing up and a mindset of never giving up this student overcame her challenges, graduating early earning a 3.8 GPA. She was a winner of the Golden Star Student, played varsity soccer and junior varsity softball. In addition to playing soccer, she coached girls U8 soccer. Ellie also found time to volunteer at her Church, the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District and Live Violence Free as well as maintaining a part-time job! As a result of her medical issues, Ellie plans to pursue a career in nursing.

2023-2024 Scholarship Award Winners!

Cailin Douglas

A graduate of El Dorado High School, Caitlin grew up experiencing serious trauma but was able to overcome the challenges and maintained a 3.97 GPA, while participating in a plethora of extracurricular activities and holding down a part-time job. She is attending U.C. Irvine to major
in Criminology, Law and Society. She also continues to pursue her interest in athletics and music.

Hannah Panell

A graduate of Union Mine High School, Hannah experienced many hardships growing up but her high school counselor wrote this about her: “Given the obstacles during Hannah’s high school career, I must say that in 15 years of counseling students. . . I have yet to meet another student as resilient, capable of greatness, and driven to succeed as Hannah.” Hannah is now attending Sonoma State University.

Jeffrey Stafford

Jeffrey graduated from Ponderosa High School, and the serious challenges he faced growing up fueled a desire in him to change his circumstances and succeed. He became a leader in high school that others turned to for support. He is attending Folsom Lake College with a goal of transferring to a university and earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Mahee Haswani

A graduate of Oak Ridge High School, Mahee was involved in a number of community service efforts, but her desire for civic engagement led to
her election as California Youth and Government’s Secretary of State. Her contributions to that organization make it clear that she is on the right track as she attends Whorton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania to pursue a degree in political science, with the ultimate goal of working in advocacy roles where she can make a difference in people’s lives.

Sadie Beall

Sadie graduated from South Lake Tahoe High School, and her project while working toward the Girl Scout Gold Award was to create a public
safety campaign with the goal of increasing awareness about cold water shock drownings in Lake Tahoe and how to prevent them. After her campaign, the number of drownings dropped to less than half of the previous year. She is pursuing a career in public health at Wellesley College with an eventual goal of attending medical school.

2022-2023 Scholarship Award Winners!

Julia Rusk

Made significant contributions to the community throughout her high school years in spite of major health issues. Julia plans to attend Western Washington University majoring in coastal studies.

(L > R) Terry Wenig, Stacey Rogers, Julia Rusk, and Irene Muzio.

Fiona Towle

Independence H.S. senior who experienced many hardships is tenacious and has set high goals for herself. Fiona has chosen a vocational track to pursue a career in cosmetology at the Paul Mitchell School at MTI College in Sacramento.

(L > R) Terry Wenig, Fiona Towle and Irene Muzio.

Emely Mancilla-Phoenix

Ponderosa H.S. senior who overcame significant challenges and health issues has shaped her interest in becoming a victim advocate. Emely is preparing to pursue a degree in psychology with an emphasis on forensics and a minor in criminal justice at Gand Canyon University in Arizona.

(L > R) Terry Wenig, Emely Mancilla-Phoenix, Stacey Rogers and Irene Muzio.

Alexis MacKie

Oak Ridge H.S. senior has performed an extensive amount of community service, is known for her personality and kindness among her peers and teachers. Alexis plans to pursue a degree in kinesiology and exercise science at Michigan State University.

(L > R) Terry Wenig, Alexis Mackie and Irene Muzio.

(L > R) Terry Wenig, Fiona Towle, Emely Mancilla-Phoenix, Julia Rusk, Alexis MacKie, Irene Muzio.

(L > R) Emely Mancilla-Phoenix, Fiona Towle, Julia Rusk, Alexis MacKie

2021-2022 Scholarship Award Winners!

Advantage Scholarship Winner

Community Service Scholarship Winner

Sara Ambrose, El Dorado High School

Plans to go to University of California, Santa Cruz as a Biology major with a career in a medical field. Has challenging family circumstances.

Goal: to be an example that circumstances do not have to limit goals and achievements.

Brianna Reynolds, Union Mine High School

Plans to go to Humboldt State University as a Zoology major with a career to treat injured animals. Has had a difficult family history. She graduated with excellent high school record in spite of challenging family issues.

Logan Barth, Oak Ridge High School

Plans to go to University of Southern California as a Political science major tp pursue a career in the legal field. He was active in Juvenile Justice Program, leading the development of highly successful mentoring program. Has participated in political advocacy in various roles.

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Advantage Scholarship Winners

2020-2021 Scholarship Award Winners!

Jessica Smigle, Folsom Lake College

Eileen Kearney, Union Mine

Serena Palaroan, South Lake Tahoe

Community Service Scholarship Winners

Cole Shoemake, Oak Ridge

Haley Richardson, Ponderosa

Taylor Smith, Oak Ridge

2019 Scholarship Award Winners!

Awards given to Oak Ridge H.S. and Ponderosa H.S. students

Assistance League of Sierra Foothills recently awarded four Community Service Scholarships of $1,250 each to graduating seniors Gianna Compagno and Autumn Fowler-Vogel from Ponderosa High School and Madison Shepherd and Ethan Huang from Oak Ridge High School. The scholarship presentations were made at each high school Senior Awards Night.

Assistance League of Sierra Foothills awards these scholarships annually to graduating El Dorado County high school seniors planning to further their education at a four year college or university, community college or vocational, technical, business school. This year’s four recipients were chosen because of the positive influence they have made in the lives of others through their exemplary unpaid community service.

Pictured are Gianna Compagno, Autumn Fowler-Vogel and Madison Shepherd being honored at Assistance League Sierra Foothills end of the year luncheon. Ethan Huang was unable to attend.

2018 Scholarship Award Winners!

Regina Nelson, left, from Ponderosa High School, Linda Lange, center, the Scholarship Committee chairman and Madeline Vanhonsebrouck, right, from Oak Ridge High School were awarded their Community Service Scholarships of $1,000 each on Sunday, April 29. Courtesy photo.

Assistance League of Sierra Foothills recently awarded two Community Service Scholarships of $1,000 each to graduating high school seniors Madeline Vanhonsebrouck from Oak Ridge High School and Regina Nelson from Ponderosa High School. The awards were presented at an ice cream social recognition celebration held on Sunday, April 29, at the home of Assistance League member Mary Helen Fischer.

Assistance League of Sierra Foothills awards these scholarships annually to graduating El Dorado County high school seniors planning to further their education at a four year college or university, community college or vocational/technical/business school. This year’s two recipients have made a positive influence in the lives of others by performing exemplary unpaid volunteer community service.

Neha Patel, the owner of Cold Stone Creamery in Town Center El Dorado Hills, donated the ice cream for the event.

Article Printed in the May 02, 2018 Mountain Democrat edition.

2016 Cooper Davis, El Dorado High School

2016 Roisin Kery, Oak Ridge High School

2015 Tristin Hunter and Danielle Di Orio, Ponderosa High School

2014 Danay Nipar, Golden Sierra High School

Donations made to the Community Service Scholarship Program are restricted to this program and will enable us to increase the number of scholarships that are awarded on an annual basis. Thank you for your support!

Nancy Hetrick, Community Scholarship Chairman

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