Arizona Students Earn Scholarships Through AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute

By Editor May 5, 2016 19:20

Leaders, volunteers, supporters and students of AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute are coming together this Friday to celebrate the more than 1,200 Arizona youth who have enrolled in more than 85 college and universities across the nation and earned more than $80 million dollars in college scholarships and funding.

AGUILA’s premier event, “Fulfilling Arizona’s Destiny,” will also raise money to help future high school students attend monthly seminars focused on personal growth, leadership and college preparation.

AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute was founded in Arizona in 2004 and provides more than a comprehensive college preparation program – it is a movement that inspires, motivates and supports young people who seek to create a brighter, more sustainable future through thoughtful leadership.

Twenty years ago, Rosemary Ybarra-Hernandez dreamt of creating what is now AGUILA. She witnessed a need, particularly among the Latino youth, for assistance in the college planning process. She watched young people searching for a place to belong. Too often, young, disconnected people found their sense of belonging within the gang lifestyle.

Currently, the program has become so successful AGUILA increased service to students enrolled in more than 80 high schools across the state, as well as, 8^th grade students in the Cartwright and Pendergast School Districts.

“Our phones are ringing non-stop and for the first time, we had to create a “wait list,” said Ybarra-Hernandez. “More students need to be served. Our current students continue to be recognized with prestigious awards such as The Gates Millennium Scholars, QuestBridge Scholars and Presidential scholarships. Plus, more and more of our students are studying abroad and participating in internships with Google, NASA and Teach for America.”

For more information, visit www.aguilayouth.org