Alec Arana

 Alec AranaAlec Arana may have just started attending Yale University, but he already has plans for after graduation. He wants to be a mechanical engineer, and hopes to create a means of transportation for people in Third World countries.

He graduated from Damien High School with a 4.43 GPA. The Los Angeles Firemen's Relief Association's Memorial Scholarship gave him the chance to attend Yale where he will be able to learn about the problems of struggling peoples and the ways he can help. Arana feels the $5,000 scholarship makes his goal possible.

Receiving the scholarship also gave him the courage to attend college far away from home, something he wasn't sure he could do before. "It has given me the chance to challenge myself and to grow and develop as an individual," he said.

His advice to future scholarship applicants and recipients is to simply "be yourself." He suggests applicants paint a clear picture of themselves, offering a genuine impression of "who you are and what you are all about." He added, "Also, it is good not only to know what you have done, but also where you are going."

Thanks to the Memorial Scholarship, Arana is leaping headlong into his education with classes about international relations and other topics. And he's not just sticking to the classroom. He's already worked with community service organizations building bikes for refugees and tutoring young children. Arana said, "The scholarship has given me the opportunity to learn both academics and altruism."

By David Vienna