Laura I. Rendón Scholarship Program

Arizona State University’s Chicano/Latino Faculty and Staff Association (CLFSA) selects five students for the endowed Laura Rendón Scholarship each academic year. Scholarship amounts vary between $2,500 and $5,000 depending on need.

Dr. Rendón is a nationally renowned educator, who for eight years, served as Professor in ASU’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. As a professor, mentor and active member of ASU’s Chicano/Latino faculty community, she taught graduate level courses on Cultural Pluralism in Education, Professional Seminar in Higher Education and Student Diversity in Higher Education. She was also a member of the Research Faculty with the ASU’s Hispanic Research Center.

Upon Dr. Rendón’s departure from ASU, and through her generosity, CLFSA endowed its scholarship in her name. Each year, CLFSA pays tribute to her leadership; character and academic excellence by awarding scholarships to students whose academic merit demonstrate these same virtues that will impact the Chicano/Latino community.

To be considered for the scholarship for the following academic year, the CLFSA Laura Rendón Scholarship application must be completed and submitted online by the due date listed below. Also, a completed FAFSA must be submitted by the new priority date of January 1 in order to be considered for the scholarship.

Please donate to the Laura I. Rendón Scholarship today to support Chicano and Latino students making an impact in our communities. For questions please contact the CLFSA Development Chair.

ASU Foundation

Payroll deduction

Application:

Application Period is open.
Deadline: Monday, April 1, 2024

Apply online at the ASU Scholarship Website

Direct questions to:

CLFSA Student Relations Liaison Lirio Patton or Annette Fuentes.

¡Felicidades! Laura I. Rendón 2023–2024 scholars

A woman wears a dark blazer and poses in front of a green shrub.

Fatima Lopez Gutierrez

My name is Fatima Lopez Gutierrez and I am an incoming sophomore double majoring in Family and Human Development & Justice Studies, and minoring in Transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o studies. I am a first generation college student. Being able to receive a higher education means the world to me. My family came to the U.S. from Michoacán, Mexico with limited financial resources. They worked hard to provide for me, to push through high school and get into college.

I hope to study abroad, explore career options through internships, and expand my connections with members of my community. After completing my undergraduate programs, I plan to attend law school and work in immigration law or family law. I also hope to serve as a mentor to other first-generation students from low income communities.

Karen Hernandez

My name is Karen Hernandez and I was born and raised in Houston, TX. Music has always been a powerful role in my life and I am currently a Music Therapy major at ASU successfully auditioned and joined the ASU’s Music therapy program in 2021. Despite financial hardships, I have persisted to further my studies. On November 2010, I shipped off to Marine Corps boot camp for financial stability, to help support myself and my family. After six years of service, I moved to Arizona in July of 2016 and earned an Associates in Arts: Music from Scottsdale Community College (2020). I am currently employed as a Music Theory Tutor at Scottsdale Community College, and as a research assistant for Dr. Eugenia Hernandez-Ruiz, ASU. I hope to become a music therapist, pursue an MM in Music Therapy, and research and learn about the impact of music therapy on veterans diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Angel M. Ledesma

My name is Angel Ledesma and I am a Senior majoring in Neuroscience. I am a first generation Latino motivated to make family history by being the first in my family to graduate from a university. After graduation, my goals are to apply to a dental hygiene program to become a dental hygienist and to partner with organizations and help make dental services available to those in my community who are not able to afford them. I have always had a strong passion for helping other people in order to better themselves. I feel that this pathway is the perfect fit for me and I believe that a better life includes a better and healthier smile.

Elena Loera

My name is Elena Loera and I’m the first in my family to study at university. I come from a close knit family and carry them in my heart for all the goals I work towards. Especially for my younger siblings, I try to be a mentor and a figure they can be proud of. I have been working on a biomedical engineering degree with ambitions to contribute to the physical medicine device community and provide a higher standard of care regarding knee deterioration.

Elijah Olvera

My name is Elijah Olvera, and I am a Junior studying Air Transportation Management — I wish to become a pilot or an airport manager. Ever since I had the opportunity to become a Youth Ambassador for the City of Phoenix, I love to travel and learn new languages. I participated in a foreign exchange program, where I lived with a host family in Italy. I am the first in my family to travel overseas and I hope to continue broadening my horizons. Getting an education is very important to me, to which lack of money shouldn’t stop my pursuit of higher education. With a degree, I hope to set an example for my community. I can’t wait to see where these new opportunities lead me!

Tabatha Rush

I am Tabatha Lorena Rush Briones. I am a senior at Arizona State University, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Business. With this education, I plan to open up my own Clinical Psychology practice and become a professor to teach students about the fascinating subject of Psychology. I come from a Hispanic background with my mom being from Quito Ecuador, and I always love to learn more about her culture and visit family I have there. I am so thankful for this opportunity this scholarship has given me and I can't wait to immerse myself in the Hispanic culture ASU offers.

Sofia Urrutia

My name is Sofia Urrutia. I was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. I recently graduated from Apollo High School, where I was actively involved in extracurricular activities such as student council, soccer, FCCLA, and assisted as the baseball team's manager. I am excited to start my academic journey at Arizona State University as a Medical Studies student. With this education, I hope to one day pursue orthopedic surgery. During my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, as well as traveling. I am looking forward to new learning experiences and enjoying life as an ASU Sun Devil!

Miranda Flores

My name is Miranda Flores, I am originally from a border town named San Luis, AZ. I am a sophomore majoring in Interior Design. Through this career, I have been able to explore the extent of my creativity and have had a lot of fun discovering how I would love to design spaces that serve purpose, diversity, and inclusion for their users. As a first-generation student, I understand the unique challenges and hurdles that individuals like myself face in pursuit of higher education and therefore love being a resource for other students in inspiring them that education should be pursuable regardless of their economic backgrounds.