A Fairy God-daughter Story: Scholarship Money Has Changed My Life

Catherine Venegas-Garcia has been my fairy god-daughter since 2021.  I have spent quite a bit of time with her since she graduated from high school and started her studies at SOU.  It has been a pleasure to be her mentor and I will continue as such even though the scholarship itself was a two-year commitment.  She is currently studying Criminal Justice and plans to go to Law School after finishing her bachelor’s degree.    — Joni Johnson

by Catherine Venegas-Garcia

Recently, the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in college admissions. In other words, race and ethnicity are no longer viable options for admission. Whether we like to admit it or not, the disadvantages won’t go away with the court’s ruling. I am the daughter of Mexican immigrants. And because of this, I was born into a life where I had disadvantages.

So why is diversity so important in universities? Because of the way that I came into this world. Latino students are severely underrepresented in higher education. An opportunity to pursue higher education wasn’t offered to me the same way it was to my peers. I was always two steps behind, and no matter what I did I could never catch up. In high school, I knew that I would need to rely solely on scholarships and grants. If I couldn’t get any funds that way, then I would never have the opportunity to continue higher education. That’s the disadvantage that I faced because of my ethnicity and background. When money is the only thing that prevents students from attending college, then it is clear that pursuing higher education is based on privilege.

Scholarships like the Fairy Godmother Scholarship are so important for diversifying university demographics. What this scholarship has given me is the opportunity to make a bigger impact. Not only within my family but within my community as well. I hope to give back to others the same way that the donors of this scholarship had given to me.

There is freedom because I am not fearful of my financial future. I gained a sense of security because I can focus on my studies and not worry about getting the money to fund my education. The Fairy Godmother Scholarship gave me the prospect to keep myself in school to study what I am passionate about. This chance was given to me, even if it was incredibly difficult to come across. I am planning to continue studying after university, and I hope to attend both graduate school and Law school. When you can afford to visualize a positive outlook on life, then you can take action toward it.