State and local governmental representatives gathered at Riverbank City Hall on Friday, Aug. 18 to recognize and award a local student with a statewide scholarship.

Fourth District State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil joined Mayor Richard D. O’Brien to present Rebecca Vera with certificates noting her accomplishment.

Vera is enrolled at University of California San Diego, to be studying business economics/marketing. She’s scheduled to begin classes in a few weeks.

Alvarado-Gil said Vera was one of 31 applicants to receive the scholarship, worth $5,000, from the California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation. In her application, the Senator said, Vera noted the help she has been giving her mother, two to three hours every day after school, with math lessons. Mom completed her GED in 2020. Both her mother and father are immigrants from Mexico.

The application required at least two letters of recommendation and had to outline how the scholarship would help. Alvarado-Gil said that the Caucus only awarded one scholarship in each Senate District. Alvarado-Gil’s district stretches from Lake Tahoe and Highway 80 in the north, and down south into the San Joaquin Valley, covering all or part of 13 counties.

In addition to the Scholarship Certificate, the senator presented Vega with a Recognition Certificate from the State Senate, congratulating her on the accomplishment.

Mayor O’Brien joined in the presentation, giving Vega a certificate from the Riverbank City Council, also noting her accomplishment. Her family, including mother, father and brother, were also in attendance.

Vera said she had also been accepted for the fall at USC, but had to decline because of the expense there. She said she’ll be staying with her aunt while attending college in San Diego.