Newark Memorial High School Grads Receive $24,000 in Scholarships

Photo: Cargill scholarship winners (from left) Lanlily Nguyen, Crystalyn Dela Cruz, Andrea Nguyen, Nathan Navarro, Timothy Lee, Madison Billman, Tina Dang, Vy Nguyen, Esperanza Rosas, Kaila Sison, Rupali Tandon and Regina Granera. (Not pictured: Madison Adams)
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Newark, Calif. — Local employer Cargill awarded college scholarships to 13 Newark Memorial High School graduating seniors. The total value is $24,000.

• $5,000 Lanlily Nguyen (Civil/Environmental Engineering – UCSD)
• $4,000 Crystalyn Dela Cruz (Biology - UC Berkeley)
• $3,000 Andrea Nguyen (Biology – UCLA)
• $2,000 Nathan Navarro (Biology - UC Davis) and Timothy Lee (Electrical Engineering - UCLA)
• $1,000 Madison Adams (Human Biology-UCSC); Madison Billman (Biology-San Francisco State University); Tina Dang (Computer Science); Vy Nguyen (Physics-UC Irvine); Esperanza Rosas (Biology-San Jose State University); Kaila Sison (Architecture-Cal-Poly); Rupali Tandon ( Biology-UC Riverside)
• Winner of the Ohlone Community College Scholarship is: Regina Granera, who will study Registered Nursing

Applicants with a STEM major (science, technology, engineering and math) are judged by a Cargill committee on their grades, extra-curricular activities, community service, essay, recommendations, and financial need.

Cargill launched its scholarship program in 1999 in honor of Claire Lopez, the former chief engineer for the salt company.

The scholarship rewards students who reflect the personal qualities of the late Claire Lopez. With only an 8th grade education, Lopez rose to become chief engineer of the Leslie Salt Company (Cargill’s predecessor), overseeing salt operations on 40,000 acres near the San Francisco Bay shoreline, and the construction of three salt plants. He also served on the Fremont School Board and dedicated much of his time to mentoring young people.

Since the scholarship's inception, Cargill has awarded nearly $140,000 to Newark High School graduates.

Cargill employs 200 union and management workers at its Newark salt plant, producing 500,000 tons of salt annually for customers in the Western United States.

--Image provided by Cargill