14 students awarded Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival scholarship
14 outstanding high school seniors from across Riverside County were awarded the Date Festival scholarship from Pickering Events LLC, the operators of the Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival, in recognition of the importance of the Fair to the community.
The students participated in a month-long competition that considered their community involvement, scholastic achievement, interviews, and an essay (written on "The Importance of Community").
The $2,000 scholarship recipients are:
- Alexis Alfaro, Notre Dame High School Riverside, Mira Loma
- David Anacan, Palm Springs High School, Palm Springs, Palm Springs
- Leah Marie Baluyot, Chaparral High School, Temecula Murrieta
- Olga Benito, Desert Mirage High School, Thermal, Thermal
- Riley Cohen, Cathedral City High School, Cathedral City, Cathedral City
- Kaylee Cervantes, Notre Dame High School, Riverside, Riverside
- Caitlyn Hill, Desert Mirage High School, Thermal, Mecca
- Isela Lopez, Desert Mirage High School, Thermal, Thermal
- Ryann Van Horn, Palm Desert High School, Palm Desert, Indio
- Monique Villalobos, Ramona High School, Ramona, Riverside
The $1,000 scholarship recipients are:
- Luis Bojorquez, Coachella Valley High School, Thermal, Indio
- Jasmine Leyva, Rancho Mirage High School, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City
- April Nunez, Indio High School, Indio, Indio
- Isaac Robles, Palm Springs High School, Palm Springs, Cathedral City
"Pickering Events LLC, in collaboration with Butler Amusements and the Bailey-Findley Foundation, are honored to offer these deserving Class of 2023 seniors scholarship funds to be sent in each student's name to the college or university of their choice," said Chris Pickering, Founding Partner of Pickering Events. "Our goal with the scholarships is to honor and emphasize exceptional student achievement. Winners also participated in today's Presidents' Day Parade and were given tickets to enjoy the Fair."
To be considered for a Date Festival Scholarship award, students were required to have a cumulative high school GPA of at least 3.0 (unweighted), have completed a Date Festival Scholarship Application online, and have submitted a 500-word essay on the topic "The Importance of Community" by February 3.
Finalists also participated in a Zoom interview, and finalists were notified Monday, February 6.
Pickering Events LLC produces the family-favorite Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival presented by Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.
From February 17-26, 2023, The Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival occurs at the Riverside County Fairgrounds at 82-503 CA Highway 111 in Indio.
For ten days, feature attractions unique to Riverside County will include exhilarating carnival rides, live music, date cooking demonstrations, Blue Ribbon competitions, cute farm animals, and your favorite fair foods.
Tickets are available online at https://datefest.org and at the Fairgrounds.
