Media Releases

Release Date
May 12, 2009

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California Desert REALTORS® Donate $17,000 In Scholarships To 17 High School Seniors

PALM DESERT (Calif.) - The California Desert Association of REALTORS® awarded $1,000 academic scholarships each to 17 high school seniors from nine public Coachella Valley High Schools at their April 24 Spring Scholarship Breakfast.

"These are really awesome young people who have worked hard at school and in their community to prepare themselves for college and a lifelong career," said John Young, president of the California Desert Association of REALTORS®. "We are always so proud to award these scholarships to such great young people who want to further their education."

Students were given $1,000 scholarships, "thanks to the hard work of our Golf Tournament Committee and Community Services Committee, which raises monies for scholarships," he said.

Hundreds of applications for scholarships were reviewed by a committee, headed by Maggie Hickman of Realty Executives Desert Cities and Don Rossignol of Windermere Real Estate.

"As the Coachella Valley grows and the number of students increases, it becomes more of a challenge to choose among the wonderful young people we have here," said Suzie Waggoner of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, who has been involved with the scholarship committee for 29 of the 30 years the California Desert Association of REALTORS® has awarded scholarships.

The selection process is tough, she said, noting that students are selected on the basis of academic achievement and desire to continue their college education.

The students are:

• Luis Avalos, Stephanie Manning, Desert Hot Springs High School
• Rachel Samuels, Derek Chariton, Palm Springs High School
• Julian Hoffman, Antonio Rodriquez, Cathedral City High School
• Jessica Andrade, Jacqueline Cecil, Palm Desert High School
• Ivette Valeriano, Matthew McCollough, La Quinta High School
• Stephanie Villalobos, Britney Vrooman, Indio High School
• Sara Kamoei, Ari Osmar Garnica, Coachella High School
• Armando Cabanillas, Amistad Continuation High School
• Lindsay Gutierrez, Job de Jesus Huerta, Desert Mirage High School

CDAR Scholarship Committee members are California Desert Association of REALTORS® members:

• La Quinta High School - Bryan Ozur, Jennifer Pederson
• Desert Hot Springs High School - Joan Burke, Gerry Johnson
• Coachella High School - Suzie Waggoner, Jennifer Pederson
• Palm Desert High School - Pat Fredericks, Judy Zeigler
• Indio High School - Maggie Hickman, Elaine Lieb, Keith Willard
• Palm Springs High School - Myrna Chariton, Ken Agee, Priscilla Bowler
• Cathedral City High School - Emily DiSimone, Judy Gaudiano, Don Rossignol
• Desert Mirage High School - Suzie Waggoner, Maggie Hickman
• Amistad Continuation High School - Maggie Hickman, Pat Fredericks

The California Desert Association of REALTORS® sponsors an annual golf tournament and other events to raise money for the scholarship fund. This year's tournament will be held May 5 at Indian Wells Country Club. The public is invited to play in the tournament for $125, which includes dinner and prizes.

The California Desert Association of REALTORS®, The Voice for Real Estate® for the Coachella Valley, represents 4,000 estate professionals from Palm Springs to Coachella.