Eva (Evangelina) Alvarez was a 30-year-old TRIO Alumni from Big Bend Community College’s Upward Bound Program who grew up in Royal City, Washington. She was the second oldest of seven and the proud daughter of farmworkers. After high school she attended Washington State University and in 2016 received a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in Criminal Justice. She then continued her education at Western Michigan University where she received a master’s degree in public administration in 2020. Eva was one of the most determined and driven individuals. Anything she set her mind to she would accomplish; she was an outspoken fearless leader that would push for change and empowered everyone around her to feel confident and to be their most authentic selves. She impacted many people, communities, and organizations through her professional work, political advocacy and volunteering. The last professional position Eva held was as a Public Policy Coordinator in Michigan with a focus in Immigration and Farmworker Rights. This scholarship is in memory of her life and the legacy she leaves behind.

This scholarship will be awarded to one student from a college program and “Active” TRIO program of WSTA. 

Requirements:

• Be currently enrolled in a college or university (Running start does not count) 
• Have a major in either Political Science or Public Policy or intend to go to Law School in the Future. 
• Has a career goal of working in Public Policy and Advocacy to positively impact the lives of others.
• A social justice-oriented background (Community service, volunteer work, etc).
• One letter of recommendation from TRIO advisor (within the last year)

Additional information:

• How were the scholarships named? Board/committee leads reached out to their networks in 2023 and were given the opportunity to submit a recommendation to submit a scholarship in someone’s honor. 

• How is the scholarship fund sustained? Part of the proceeds from the yearly Civic Leadership Conference (student conference) and the silent auction amount raised at the Professional Development conference go into the scholarship fund. We also take donations! To donate you can Venmo @wstatrio | (XXX) XXX-6728 and note in the donation description, “for scholarships”