Utah High School Awards Record $465K in Scholarships

A standing-room-only crowd erupted in cheers Monday night as Wasatch High School announced a record $465,000 in scholarships for 271 graduating seniors.

Over 100 local donors made it happen. Families, businesses, and organizations from Intermountain Health Heber Valley Hospital to the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office pooled resources to invest in their community's future.

Among the most touching moments were the debut of the Joe Witt Future Builders Legacy Scholarship. Five students from the homebuilding course received awards to support careers in the trades, honoring instructor Joe Witt, who died in an avalanche while snowmobiling in February. His siblings established the fund to continue his legacy of teaching students practical skills.

"We have enough in the funds now to do this every year for the rest of our lives," said Bonnie Witt Vance, Joe's sister.

The Summit Pride Foundation awarded its first scholarship at Wasatch High to Maghie Ingols-Pennington, president of the school's Gay Straight Alliance. Though not LGBTQ+ herself, she dedicated years to supporting equality for all students. She'll study political science at the University of Utah, dreaming of becoming a diplomat.

Twenty-four students received We Rise scholarships, designed specifically for first-generation college students. Alexander Velazquez Bobadilla and Jazmine Ramirez Parks stood out among them, having already completed associate's degrees through Utah Valley University while in high school.

Velazquez Bobadilla will study mechanical engineering at the University of Utah. He works constantly at Wendy's and Walmart to save for college, driven by his parents' words: "Keep pushing. We need to break the cycle."

Ramirez Parks plans to become a surgeon, inspired by childhood hero Doc McStuffins from the Disney Junior show. She already works as a certified nursing assistant at Heber Valley Assisted Living, turning her parents' divorce during sophomore year into motivation rather than an obstacle.

"My parents told me that if I find happiness helping people, and it's not all about the money, to go the route that I want," she said.

The Ripple Effect

Both students spoke honestly about the challenge of fitting in as students from different cultural backgrounds. Ramirez Parks led the school's Latinos In Action club, organizing a Disneyland trip to show the club could be fun while building community.

College success advisor Kim Danely noted that first-generation students share one quality: they work incredibly hard, never making excuses. The We Rise program, launched in 2021 by first-generation Wasatch High alumni, ensures that dedication gets rewarded.

The two-hour ceremony turned joyful as students developed a rhythm, letting out a single collective clap after each name, transforming a formal event into a celebration of their shared success and bright futures ahead.

#