---Another year, two more success stories!

Stephanie Gonzalez and Sarah Westrup, recipients of the 2007 Rio Grande Valley Quilt Guild College Scholarship, were introduced to the Guild members and guests at the April 14 meeting. Each of the winners will receive $1,000 to be paid to the college of her choice upon enrollment.

Gonzalez is a senior at PSJA North High School where she maintains a GPA average of 90.35. Her extracurricular activities include varsity soccer, drama, golf and participation in state DECA competition. She plans to attend The Art Institute of Houston where she will major in interior design.

“My grandfather, a local artist, showed me how to paint at a young age. His talent is to paint. Mine is to design and evolve an empty room into my type of masterpiece. I think of what I can add to the room to make it look better,” Gonzalez commented. She then shared some of her paintings with the Guild members.

Westrup is a senior at McAllen High School. Her GPA is 93.62, and she is active in Literary Criticism. She enjoys sewing so much she convinced her Textiles and Design teacher to offer a summer sewing program to her students.

“I want to sew art. I would really like to become a couture seamstress,” Westrup stated in her scholarship application. She plans to attend Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia, where she will pursue a double major in fashion design and fibers.

At the April Guild meeting, Westrup described and showed embroidery and knitting projects.

Evelyn McIntosh will present the $1,000 scholarship award letter on May 10 to Gonzalez at PSJA North High School, and Florea Flores has agreed to present Westrup’s scholarship award on May 10 at McAllen High School.

Gonzalez is the daughter of Rocio Garza and Westrup is the daughter of Gabriela Westrup. The mothers of the students, as well as other family members, a counselor, and a teacher sponsor attended the Guild meeting and were introduced to the group.

Once again, Guild members, your hard work is helping College Scholarship winners to add education and skill to their attributes of scholastic achievement, creativity, and determination.

Evelyn Fincher: 04/14/2007