The Rise Program is excited to announce the 2019 recipients of the Rise Program Scholarship. This scholarship was established with the Tom M. Apostol Fund for Science and Math Outreach in honor of Tom Apostol, a Caltech Mathematics professor, recognized for the clarity of his exposition of mathematical and scientific concepts. He was passionate about mathematics education and founded Project MATHEMATICS!, which produced videos, illustrating key mathematical concepts used in high school and community college classrooms. Scholarship recipients were selected based on demonstration of outstanding academic and personal growth. This year, the committee selected six recipients to receive the Rise Program Scholarship.
Erick Vargas | Award Amount: $750 | Attending: Cal State Northridge
“The Caltech Y Rise Program has helped me on the path to my dream career as a Civil Engineer. I plan to study Civil Engineering at the California State University of Northridge, and have been accepted into the program. It was not an easy journey to reach my goal, but the Rise Program really pushed me to my limits to ensure my success."
Yanette Abzun | Award Amount: $750 | Attending: Pasadena City College
“I saw how drastically my grades fell when I didn’t go to tutoring that I immediately rejoined the Rise Program my junior year, I am very thankful for my tutor who has been with me ever since then. She always has such a positive mindset and is very enthusiastic which therefore makes me so excited to learn more. Now I am a senior taking AP Statistics and AP Environmental Science which I enjoy learning about so much."
Ingrid Jaime | Award Amount: $500 | Attending: UC Merced
“I started the Rise Program hating math and feeling unsure about science, but now I am proud to say that I’ve realized math isn’t as bad as I made it seem (of course with the right help) and I like science. I have developed a passion for Biology which is why I will be studying a Biology-related major in the fall.”
William Han | Award Amount: $500 | Attending: New York University
“There was never a time at the Rise Program when I would be given the answer to a problem straight away. I was always challenged to think critically and explain my reasoning behind everything. If there was a concept that I did thought I understood well, I would be encouraged to think conceptually or be posed with even more difficult questions about it.”
Inala Taylor | Award Amount: $500 | Attending: Santa Monica Community College
“When I finally joined the Rise Program, my life, as well as my grades, improved tremendously. With time, I began to comprehend what I was being taught, and how to properly retain the information for when I needed it in class. The Rise program allowed me the opportunity to take my educational difficulties by the horns and find what does and does not work for me academically”
Eden Porras Harth | Award Amount: $500 | Attending: University of Arizona
“Rise gave me so many tools that I have used in my remaining amount in high schoolespecially the confidence and ability to complete and master topics in math. I also learned to use my learning difference to my advantage, rather than let it hold me back. I am very grateful for everything that Rise has given me.”
Please consider contributing to the Caltech Y Tom Apostol Fund for Science and Math Outreach. Now, more than ever, our students are in need of financial resources. Amidst the many challenges facing our students during this time, we are deeply concerned about our high school seniors who are planning to go to college this year. Students in our community already face many challenges on the path to a college degree, and we fear that the COVID-19 health crisis will further exacerbate equity gaps college attendance. Our goal is to support our students as much as possible as they start their college careers. With your help, we hope to increase the number of scholarships that we can award and create multi-year scholarships to help our students during these challenging and unpredictable times. Donate at:
