California Rodeo Awards Seven Educational Scholarships

By: Mandy Linquist

SALINAS, CA – The California Rodeo Salinas has awarded $30,000 in scholarships this year, a record for the Rodeo Association. The California Rodeo Salinas has proudly offered scholarships for the past 36 years. The program has expanded considerably in the past two years, growing from scholarships being offered only via Hartnell College to an additional program through the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC). Students who are attending or graduating from Hartnell may apply for the Hartnell College scholarship and the CFMC scholarship allows students who are California Rodeo Salinas Committee Members or related to Committee Members to apply, and funds may be used to attend any college or other post high school education program, including trade school.

As noted by Kelly McCarthy Sutherland, the Chair of the California Rodeo Salinas Scholarship Advisory Committee, “The Rodeo Association’s generosity will impact these students’ lives, and they will in turn come back to their communities and become great leaders and contributors. Each one of these students is a super-star, and we can hardly wait to see what they do when they finish school.”

This year a total of seven scholarships were awarded, four via Hartnell College and three via CFMC.

Hartnell College recipients include:

Adam Garcia
Katya Hernandez
Erin Hoffman
Natasha Perez
Community Foundation for Monterey County recipients include:
Joseph DaSilva
Kyras Headley
Katherine Hodges
Here are the student biographies:

Adam Garcia

Adam Garcia recently graduated summa cum laude from Hartnell College. He will be at UCSC next year, majoring in human biology. He wants to become a family doctor. His grandfather was involved with the rodeo, and he grew up helping with the rodeo, as a runner, providing security through Boy Scouts, and working in ticket booths. He said the rodeo is the heart of Salinas as it connects so many entities together, and that makes this scholarship even more special to him as it will help him achieve his goals, with what feels like the entire community’s support.

Katya Hernandez Trejo

Katya Hernandez Trejo is a graduate of Greenfield High School and Hartnell College and is 20 years old. She is transferring to Fresno State University and majoring in Agricultural Education with plans to become a high school agriculture teacher. This scholarship encourages her to pursue the journey of higher education. She will be the first person in her family to graduate from college.

Erin Hoffman

Erin Hoffman is a 37-year-old working mother of two who decided to return to school to earn a degree post COVID. She lives in Prunedale, CA, graduated from North Monterey County High School and is attending Hartnell College studying to become a Certified Public Accountant. Erin has been the sole income in the family while working two jobs, running a business, and attending college full-time so this scholarship helps her tremendously in her pursuit of her CPA license.

Natasha Perez

18-year-old Natasha Perez graduated from North Salinas High School and is attending Hartnell College this Fall. The Soledad, CA resident plans to transfer to a University of California to major in Bio-Medicine to become a pediatric surgeon, all while continuing to support her community through volunteer services. This scholarship proves to her that hard work and dedications pays off.

Joseph DaSilva

Joseph DaSilva is an 18-year-old Palma High School graduate from Salinas. He plans to attend Fresno State University to study pre-health and become a Doctor of Physical Therapy. DaSilva has volunteered in the Rodeo’s Sponsor Hospitality area. This scholarship means a lot to him as it will ease the financial burden on his mother who was recently widowed when Joseph’s father passed away in May of 2020.

Kyras Headley

20-year-old Kyras Headley of King City, CA will be attending Chico State University this Fall to earn a degree in Plant Science. He plans to return to the Salinas Valley to work in the agricultural community here. He has volunteered on the Carnival Committee the past four years during the Special Kids Carnival and was active in Future Farmers of America while he was in high school. He is thankful that this scholarship will help him further his educational goals.

Katherine Hodges

A graduate of Notre Dame High School in Salinas, Katherine Hodges is 19 years old and attending the University of Southern California studying Occupational Science. She would love to return to Salinas as a certified Occupational Therapist to give back to the community where she grew up. She is a 6th generation Salinas resident who received the Girl Scout Gold Award and was active in the city’s Sister City program. This scholarship helps her to continue her education at USC, the institution that she believes is the perfect match for her because of the both the educational opportunities and the community.

Donations to the Community Foundation scholarship fund are welcomed and not limited to cash; examples might include coin collections, vehicles, or property. Visit https://www.cfmco.org/give-now/?fund=12144 to donate.

Visit www.carodeo.com for more information about the California Rodeo Salinas, which takes place July 21st-24th, and other upcoming events.