Our Students Our Future
Briana Figueroa - class of '24 (FHS)
My name is Briana Figueroa and I am 18 years old. I recently graduated this year as class of 2024! I went to Freedom High School, Bethlehem Vocational School, and Northampton Community College as a dual enrollment student. Through BethlehemAVTS I also received the opportunity to work at St.Luke's Anderson Campus as a co-op student, which is where I spent a lot of my time as an upperclassman.
This next upcoming school year I will be continuing at Northampton Community College taking pre-requisite classes, and will apply to the Sonography program soon after that.
The VRX scholarship was a scholarship I found unexpectedly, and when I applied I did not have the belief that I'd win it. When I was told that I won I was beyond grateful and excited! This scholarship has helped to be more ready than ever to continue my pursuits in the healthcare world.
Daniela Escobar - class of '24 (NBHS)
My name is Daniela Escobar and I recently graduated from North Bergen High School. I am a first generation student and come from a Salvadorian family. In the fall of 2024, I will be attending Boston University where I will be majoring in sociology on the pre-law track! Since I come from a big family, I am very passionate about practicing family law. However, a drastic change from family law, I’m also interested in criminal law! By practicing law my overall goal is to help people during some of the lowest times of their lives.
Being able to attend a well-respected university is definitely a dream come true and with the VRX scholarship I will be able to focus on my studies and gain experiences rather than worrying about financial needs. I am very grateful to have received this scholarship and I encourage others to apply because it will definitely be a great help for college!
Amani Karim - class of '24 (NBHS)
My name is Amani Karim and I am part of the graduating class of 2024 from North Bergen High School. This upcoming fall I will be attending Stevens Institute of Technology to pursue a bachelors in Accounting and Analytics, as well as a minor in pre-law. It is a heartfelt goal of mine to obtain my CPA (Certified Public Accountant) certification and continue my family business with accredited skills. Alongside this, I plan to attend law school and obtain my J.D., to build my personalized career within corporate law. My academic career has only just begun and it is with great excitement that I embark on my journey of education and enlightenment.
With the ambitions of a student such as myself, it is vital to be backed by a supportive community. It is of great honor to accept this scholarship that has been gracefully offered to support me in my academic career. I faithfully promise to use it for the benefit of my education and the overall betterment of my community.
Camila Monsalve - class of '24 (NBHS)
My name is Camila Monsalve and I am a part of the 2024 graduating class of North Bergen High School. I am a first generation college student and a Colombian-American. I will be attending Rutgers University - New Brunswick in the upcoming fall semester. Growing up, my dream was always to become a doctor. Therefore, I decided to major in Biology on the pre-med track in order to become a Pediatrician in the future. My goal has always been to provide quality care and medical education for underrepresented communities like the one I live in.
As a child of immigrants, I have experienced how a lack of medical education can affect people's lives. That is why I am committed to further my education in order to achieve my dreams. However, none of this could've been done without the help of The VRX foundation. The VRX foundation was a scholarship opportunity that I found out about and I ended up applying to. I was ecstatic when I ended up being chosen as without the foundation's help, my parents would've been financially burdened with my college tuition.
The VRX foundation has helped me get one step closer to my dreams and I feel so grateful that they've given me this opportunity. I thank them for all that they do for students like me
John Assad - class of '23 (FHS)
My name is John Assad and I am graduating in the class of 2023 from Freedom High School in Bethlehem, PA. Next year I will be attending King’s College in Wilkes Barre for their 5 year accelerated Physician Assistant Program. I enjoy playing sports such as basketball, baseball and volleyball, and love getting involved in my church and community through fundraisers and volunteering!!!
I am honored to be receiving this scholarship and am looking forward to using the scholarship money to help further myself academically and eventually giving back to my community in the form of service!!!
Jacklyn Sanchez - class of '23 (NBHS)
My name is Jacklyn Sanchez and I am from North Bergen, New Jersey. I am Hispanic and the proud daughter of Salvadoran parents! I have made the decision to commit to Montclair State University in New Jersey. With the confidence and faith held within me, I am choosing to study the unique field of the Biological Sciences! Majoring in Biology and double minoring in psychology and business will broaden the love I hold for these future studies. Being able to become a helping hand to society is what the world needs and is what I seek on becoming. The medical field has always spoken to me in a way where it’s touched my heart and has had its effect mentally and emotionally on me. Striving to continue to study hard for what I’ve always known to want for my future self has come with a lot of hard work and new understanding.
The VRX foundation became the first scholarship opportunity I came to know about and ended up applying to; along with becoming the first scholarship I’ve received. With the helping hand of this organization, it has had quite an impact on my upcoming tuition for my first year of college! Feeling beyond blessed and with an overload of gratitude, I thank the VRX Foundation for the opportunity given.
Feeling beyond blessed and with an overload of gratitude, I thank the VRX Foundation for the opportunity given.
Evelson Gomez - class of '23 (NBHS)
My name is Evelson Gómez and I'm 19 years old from Venezuela. I arrived in the United States about 3 years ago during the hard times amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although it was difficult to provide and adjust, this was not an obstacle to my academic performance. I started studying at North Bergen High School via virtual, which was
an interesting way to adapt to the American educational system. With my effort and God's help I have been able to carry out all the assigned tasks responsibly, reaching the
point of having a good academic performance even when I had to fulfill other responsibilities such as work. With all the years of hard work, studying, and prepping, my
academic dreams do not end in high school.
I plan to go to Montclair State University and major in computer science and minor in pre-law. My overall goal in the future is
to become a lawyer and serve this country in that way. On top of this, I plan to learn the technological system and apply for my real estate license. There are countless
opportunities I believe I can reach in this country, and I am grateful for every experience I encounter. Thank you for reading a little about my life.
Aaliyah Garcia - class of '23 (NBHS)
Joshua Ruela - class of '22 (FHS)
Hi, my name is Joshua Ruela and I am from Bethlehem, PA. I am an incoming sophomore at Moravian University and majoring in Early Childhood/Special Education. I decided to declare this major because I wanna teach the next generation and be a role model for the students. Freshman year felt like it went in a blink of an eye. Being on the football team and studying for classes is a challenge. As a student athlete, I achieved back to back semesters on making the dean's honors list.
The VRX Foundation was one of the organizations that I applied for a scholarship opportunity. I was blessed to hear the news that I was the first of two students to receive this scholarship. This has helped me a lot because it reduced the amount I had to borrow for my first year of school.
Anaiah Olivero - class of '22 (FHS)
