The PTT Scholarship is a merit-based college scholarship which aims to to celebrate the values of family, generosity, hard work, & humility, by awarding 1 exemplary high school graduate annually.
ABIGAIL RENE (2024 RECIPIENT - $2,500)
High School: Woodside High School
College: University of California, Los Angeles
Intended Major: Human Biology, Pre-med
Abigail's mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor during high school, which presented unimaginable challenges for any young student to cope with. To channel the personal pain from this life experience into a positive force for change, she reached out to the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation (CBTF) and began volunteering with them as part of her own healing process. Finding joy in lifting up others, she helped to create a program to combat social isolation and loneliness among brain tumor survivors, raise awareness to fund research, and supported a summer camp for children with brain tumors. She feels that everyone can help the world by giving back compassionately.
Due to her mother’s traumatic experience (now successfully recovered), Abigail developed a deep appreciation for the important work of doctors and also a fascination with human anatomy. Upon visiting UCLA, she immediately loved it and will be attending UCLA this Fall to study Human Biology on the Pre-medicine path, in hopes of a future career in the ‘intellectually stimulating yet emotionally rewarding’ healthcare industry. She has a strong desire to help other families impacted by similar situations as her mom's.
"My mother is my biggest role model. Everything she does is so inspiring to me. I will never forget my mother's courage and resilience in hard times, but more importantly, how to have gratitude for it."
Vianca Lopez (2023 RECIPIENT - $2,500)
High School: Menlo-Atherton High School
College: University of Southern California
Intended Major: Biological Sciences, Pre-med
Vianca fell in love with the University of Southern California when she toured it and will be attending USC to study Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. Her ambition is to go to medical school and become a pediatrician working with low-income families to help them better understand and have greater access to knowledge about diseases that may afflict their children. Vianca believes that every child deserves to be healthy and thrive regardless of their background or socioeconomic status, and that we cannot grow as a society if we leave anyone behind. After having seen some of her extended family members struggle with comprehending their own illnesses, she is hopeful for such a career in healthcare where she can be both a provider and an advocate.
"AP Environmental Science was my first AP Science class and I was the only Latina there, so I didn't have the support system that others had. Despite the challenges that low-income, first generation students like myself have faced, my parents instilled a humble spirit in me from a young age. I am grateful for the opportunities that I have had, and am committed to giving back and making a positive impact on the lives of others in my future endeavors."
CLAUDIA NOLASCO (2022 RECIPIENT - $2,500)
High School: Woodside High School
College: University of California, Santa Cruz
Intended Major: Environmental Sciences
Claudia has decided on attending UC Santa Cruz because she believes that their Bachelor of Science program in Environmental Sciences and the university’s excellent environmental research would best prepare her for a career in Natural Resource Conservation. As a Latina growing up in Redwood City, she is compassionate for her community and equally committed to the environment, often reflecting on the environmental injustice that she witnesses firsthand in the Bay Area's low-income and minority communities. She therefore served as VP of her school's Greenies Club, and also volunteers as a youth activist with Citizens' Climate Lobby Youth Group. Combining her love for the environment and love for public speaking, she has helped organize local rallies where she speaks in front of crowds about the need to prioritize climate legislation. After finishing grad school in the future, her goal is to work in Restoration Ecology and Forestry.
"As a first-generation college student without resources from my parents who immigrated from El Salvador, all my parents wanted for me was to get into college and finish grad school...I am going to fulfill my parents' dream. My dad always told me, 'If you're happy doing what you love, you'll be successful. So find your passion and chase it.' Environmental Science is a passion of mine."
emily kim (2021 recipient - $2,500)
High School: Carlmont High School
College: Amherst College
Intended Major: Biology, Pre-med
Emily has spent years volunteering at local non-profit organizations and facilities that provide end-of-life care by helping to feed and bathe patients, keeping them company, and holding vigils for them through the No One Dies Alone (NODA) national program. She aspires to go to medical school and obtain Geriatrics training to become a hospice doctor, and has decided that Amherst College in Massachusetts is the perfect fit for her. Getting a pre-med education at a strong liberal arts college she says would allow her to continue exploring the intersection between life & death, make her a well-rounded fully-attuned person, and so that pre-med wouldn't be her entire life. Attributing her generosity to her selfless parents who immigrated here from Korea, she wants to give back through gratifying hospice work and just give love.
"Although death is 'the great equalizer,' how we die, lonely or loved, can differ immensely. Death is hard to come to terms with, but I've learned that life is quite extraordinary. I do the work I do so that its beauty isn't lost, so that people's hardships are recognized and their victories celebrated when they pass. Even in death, there is dignity and love."
RACHEL.AMIR CHATMAN (2020 recipient - $2,500)
High School: Carlmont High School
College: University of Southern California
Intended Major: Biomedical Engineering
Rachel.Amir will be attending the University of Southern California. Having attended a high school where African Americans were less than 2% of the student body, she decided on USC because they emphasized the importance of a diverse student body, which was really important for her. Furthermore, USC's Viterbi School of Engineering is highly ranked, and Rachel.Amir is set on pursuing Biomedical Engineering. She has liked Math & Science ever since elementary school, and she wants to become a Biomedical Engineer and work to develop medical products that help improve the quality of life and health of those with disabilities or vulnerabilities keeping them from the life that they desire.
"My mom taught me that even though you may have things going on in your life and things you need to attend to, you're never too busy to look out for others. Be kind, be generous, and give back to those in need. I just really strive to have those qualities that my mom has."
SIMONE SPANDAU (2019 RECIPIENT - $2,500)
High School: Sequoia High School
College: University of Rochester
Intended Major: Cognitive Science
Simone is interested in becoming a psychiatrist. She has decided on attending University of Rochester in New York because they have a really great program in the cognitive brain sciences and the kind of education she's looking for, where students can hone in on different curriculum clusters. Also, she's been skiing since she was little, and University of Rochester is one of the few schools that has a ski race team, which would be a great opportunity for her to continue skiing in college.
"I went to 3 different middle schools in 3 different states, and being the new kid every year forced me to learn to understand people of any kind of background, and all types of people. I actively pursue an immense empathy for others and really want to help when it comes to being an emotional support for others."
GERRYK MADRIGAL AYALA (2019 RUNNER-UP - $1,000)
High School: Sequoia High School
College: Santa Clara University
Intended Major: Political Science, Business Management
Gerryk wants to pursue a career in public service. He has decided on attending Santa Clara University in California because he is passionate about social justice, and reputable politicians to him like Gavin Newsom and Janet Napolitano were alumni of SCU, and because the school instills the Catholic values in their students that align with his background. They also have a Social Engagement Center, which offers clubs and community service opportunities for students to get involved in the local community. One of his dreams in the future is to establish a non-profit organization to extend free legal services for low-income or undocumented families.
"The way that my parents have raised me 'Always want to achieve more, always push yourself to do well, not just for yourself but for the benefit of others, help improve the lives of others, and leave your mark' is something I've carried with me in everything I do. I can't give others money to help pay rent, but I can understand their experiences in depth and build connections, and help them improve themselves to move forward and later achieve their goals.”