ONIF Student Spotlight

Catalina Garcia in front of SoFi stadium
Catalina Garcia '26
Frank R. Seaver College of Science & Engineering

September 1, 2023

Name of the award and a brief description: This award is named the Ebell/Flint Scholarship Award of Los Angeles. This scholarship is designed for students who live and attend a four-year or two-year institution in Los Angeles County. Scholars are ultimately chosen based on economic need, academic achievement, and community service.

What are your current or future career plans? This summer I was assisting my grandmother with her hospital visits, which really inspired me to work in the healthcare field. Therefore once I finish undergrad, I plan to apply to Physician Assistant (PA) school so I can hopefully work as a PA in either the urgent care or family medicine field.

How did you learn about this award? I learned about this award through the 'Funding Friday' emails I get from ONIF. I always try and apply for every award that I see and am eligible for. These 'Funding Friday' emails are very helpful, and without them, I would have never even found out about this scholarship opportunity.

What inspired you to apply for this award? My parents work very hard to provide for my siblings and me, and for even allowing me to attend university. They always tell me to never turn away from an opportunity that presents itself, so when I saw this scholarship that I was eligible for, I applied, because you never know what can happen.

What was the most challenging part of the application process? The most challenging part of the application process was writing my personal statement because there was so much that I wanted to say and add to my application so that the scholarship committee would have a better understanding of who I am, my values, and my background.

What advice do you have for future applicants? One piece of advice that I have for future applicants is to try and complete the application a few weeks before the deadline because there are many supplement parts of the application that require you to get it beforehand and not the day it’s time to submit. Also, it’s just a stress reliever if you submit it beforehand because then you won’t have to worry about it.

What would people be surprised to know about you? Most people would be surprised to know that I don’t eat or particularly like pizza, soda, hamburgers, hot dogs, and many chips like Takis, Hot Cheetos, and Funyuns.

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To learn more about the Ebell Scholarship, visit https://ebellofla.org/membership/philanthropy/scholarship/ or contact ONIF. Applications are due in late March.