Bishop Alberto Rojas has announced the four eighth grade Catholic student recipients of the 2024 Bishop’s Scholarship. This year’s Bishop’s Scholars are Bryan Cortez from St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School in Riverside, John Morinaga from Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School in Temecula, Erick Oceguera Tena from Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Indio, and Regina Estrada Maravilla from Sacred Heart Academy in Redlands.
The Bishop’s Scholarship is a merit-based four-year (renewable) award given annually to four eighth-grade students matriculating from a parish partner school within the local clusters to Aquinas High School. San Bernardino: Notre Dame High School, Riverside; Xavier College Preparatory High School, Palm Desert, and Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac High School, Temecula.
These four students will be incoming high school freshmen in the upcoming 2024-25 school year. Cortez will attend Notre Dame High School, Morinaga will attend St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School, Oceguera Tena will attend Xavier College Preparatory High School, and Estrada Maravilla will attend Aquinas High School.
Applicants are asked to describe and discuss their commitment to God, faith. education, family, community and volunteerism and explain why they wish to attend the particular high school they have chosen. The four students had the following to share in their personal essays:
“I am thankful to have come to know Jesus, and I aim to uplift others through everything I do presently and in the future,” Cortez said.
“Catholic education has played a huge part in my part of the Diocesan Mission and will support my future part in the Church’s pursuit,” Morinaga said.
“I have worked very hard to achieve academic success, knowing that it is a privilege to have the opportunity to attend a private and religious school,” Oceguera Tena said.
“Receiving a scholarship means I not only have an opportunity of attending a great school, but I can continue my Catholic education,” Estrada Maravilla said.