Why This Scholarship Works: A Note from Mentor Alex
We recently caught up with Alex, our incredible Scholarship Mentor, and asked him what makes the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship so effective. His answer reminded us why this program works, and why community support matters so much.
Here’s what he shared:
When people hear "scholarship, "they usually think of a check, and yes, that matters. But what we’re doing is more than that. We guide students through college—start to finish.
We keep the program intentionally small so I can work one-on-one with each Scholar. I help them navigate complex financial aid systems, create class schedules, find on-campus support, and just be there when life gets hard.
A few months ago, one student was at risk of losing thousands in Pell Grant funding because of a paperwork issue. That might’ve been the end of their college journey. But together, we fixed it, and they stayed enrolled. That’s what this program is really about: ensuring our Scholars not only start college but also stay, thrive, and graduate.
This isn’t just a scholarship. It’s a safety net. And it works because of people like you.
On behalf of Vineyard Team, we'd all like to say thank you to our donors for making this kind of support possible.
If you’d like to help us reach even more students this year, you can make a gift here.
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