Opportunity Home Awards More than 30 Academic Scholarships
The Community Development Initiatives Department (CDI) presented academic scholarships to 24 residents during a recognition ceremony in the Central Office Atrium on Aug. 23.
A total of 33 residents from Public Housing and Housing Choice Vouchers programs were awarded Opportunity Home Scholarships of $1,500 ($750 in the fall and, if returning to college, another $750 in the spring).
Five of the 33 residents received an additional scholarship, the Joshua Longoria “The Passion for Life” Memorial Scholarship for $500 each. The Joshua Longoria “Passion for Life” Memorial Scholarship, which is a one time grant awarded to students who strive to serve their community, is named in honor of Joshua Longoria. Joshua’s mother and Opportunity Home employee, Laura Longoria, and her family wished to recognize students who are dedicated to continuing their education and achieving a career goal that Joshua was unable to complete due to his battle with cancer.
“For many students, it’s often easy to have your education plans derailed, some of it is academics and some of it is financial. These students have proven they have the academic stamina, so this financial assistance will help them continue all the way to graduation,” said Susan Ramos-Sossaman, director of CDI.
Xanadu Hendrix, who is a part of Opportunity Home’s Lincoln Heights community and a Jobs Plus participant, served as the keynote speaker. She was awarded the Opportunity Home Resident Scholarship in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Hendrix graduated from Our Lady Of The Lake University (OLLU) in December 2023 with a Bachelor of Social Work. She was accepted to the OLLU Master of Social Work Graduate Program and started the program in Summer 2024. Hendrix plans to pursue a professional career in Clinical Social Work.
“This means a lot to me because I want to be an example of change for my community,” said Hendrix. “You are not just your disadvantages and you can use opportunities such as this as motivation toward your goals.”
Students previously awarded Opportunity Home Resident Scholarships are eligible to apply as a renewal applicant for a maximum of five years. Students who have a break (non-consecutive years) in renewal may be considered for funding. Additional criteria students have to meet are that they must be a graduating high school senior, college student or non-traditional student; enrolled as a full-time student (12 hours of undergraduate work or 9 hours of graduate coursework); and have a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. To be considered for the Joshua Longoria “Passion for Life” Memorial Scholarship, applicants must not have previously received the scholarship.
To learn more about our education-based resident programs, visit our Education webpage.