By Daniel Fritz
The Citrus Valley Medical Center Inter-Community Campus in Covina has a prolific group of women dedicated to raising money to ultimately benefit the medical community and those in need of care.
On Thursday, June 12, members of the hospital’s Auxiliary once again proved their philanthropic excellence – this time by handing out a total of $15,000 to 15 local students currently studying medicine. Each received a $1,000 scholarship to be put toward tuition.
The scholarships, which are handed out annually in a ceremony in the hospital’s conference room, is made possible through dozens of bake sales and boutiques done by the Auxiliary throughout the year. The Citrus Valley Health Foundation also contributed to the scholarship fund.
Jody Mentzer, chairman of the Auxiliary, said that a committee sifted through 24 applications to find the scholarship recipients.
“We’ve got a really amazing group of people to give scholarships to today,” Mentzer said. “You just can’t believe some of the things these people have done.”
Several of the recipients juggle multiple jobs, school and family – only to continue to be passionate about advancing their knowledge in the medical field.
Raymond Balley Jr., a full-time nurse at the Citrus Valley Medical Center and part-time student at Pasadena City College, also has five children. Soon, he hopes to transfer to Cal State Los Angeles to work on his bachelor’s degree in nursing.
“The thing that kept me going through these years is the joy of meeting people, helping them feel better and walking away,” Balley said. “I think that is what has given me the strength to seek my education. I realize that the more I know, the better I can serve my patients.”
Sarah Freilberg lives in Los Angeles and currently works as a physician’s assistant, as well as a counselor and tutor to low- income, inner-city youth.
A 2004 graduate of Master’s College, she is now working on a master’s degree in physician assisting at Western University of Health Sciences.
“Especially because I’m living in Los Angeles and doing this kind of work, the extra income to make ends meet for school is much appreciated,” she said.
The other 13 recipients of the scholarship are as followed: Jenna Brianne Cappello, Angel Chavira, Adah C. Fisher, Jesus Jimenez, Ester J. Kim, Jennifer Kissee, Charis Krause, Marietta Marquez, Esmeralda Mata, Lynn McArthur, Irina Petruta, Obianuju Rivera and Ashlee Wong.
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(c) 2008 San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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