It is with great pleasure that the Inverness Garden Club Scholarship Fund announces a remarkable total of $421,500 in awards for the coming school year. This number is possible because of donors who generously support students in coastal Marin. Because of this outpouring, 22 new students received awards, along with 44 continuing students. We are also proud to announce that eight of our scholars graduated this spring.

How are so many students selected? The 10 volunteers serving on our scholarship committee carefully review each student application. Selections are made based on academics, financial need, community service and work experience, essays and recommendations. Thoughtful consideration is given to each and every applicant. The scholarship fund is dedicated to making college educations available to deserving students, many of whom might not be able to afford college at all or attend a four-year university. To be eligible for a scholarship, a student must live in West Marin or have graduated from Tomales High School. Below are biographies of our new scholars and shorter listings of continuing scholars. Donors who have named scholars are also noted. — Jan Aston for the Inverness Garden Club

New scholars

Jonathan Barajas Garcia of Point Reyes Station, a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, is a Tomales High graduate and distinguished scholar-athlete who will attend Sonoma State University to study business. 

Maja Collins of Petaluma was named student of the month during her junior year at Tomales High, an award given only twice in an academic year. A Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, she will attend the University of California, Davis.

Gabriela Esquivias of Santa Rosa was student body president during her senior year at Tomales High. A Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, she will attend San Jose State University. 

Ty Evenich of Petaluma is a distinguished scholar and athlete at Tomales High. He has a special interest in metal fabrication and welding, and will attend Santa Rosa Junior College. He is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar.

Olivia Fisher-Smith of Point Reyes Station is an outstanding scholar who will graduate from Marin Catholic. A Maria Chernin Scholar, she will attend the University of California, Santa Cruz, majoring in political and environmental awareness. 

Alejandra Flores of Bodega Bay is a Tomales High graduate active in Future Farmers of America and community volunteering. She will attend Santa Rosa Junior College. 

Lisandro Gutierrez of Petaluma is a Tomales High graduate who received many awards in football. He will attend Santa Rosa Junior College to study culinary arts. 

Cleo Hadid of Tomales is an outstanding-scholar graduate of Tomales High who enjoyed membership in two service clubs, Inneract and F.F.A. She will attend Chico State, studying sociology and anthropology. She is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar.

Oliver Hawkes of Nicasio is a Branson High School graduate who received a Red Cross heroes award and was captain of the mountain bike team. Oliver, an Inverness Garden Club Merit Scholar, will attend Wake Forest University to study business and enterprise management. 

Raini Kellogg of Point Reyes Station received high academic awards throughout high school at Tomales, as well as numerous sports awards. She will attend Humboldt State, focusing on recreation administration. She is a Sue Flagg & Carlo Rocca Scholar.

Marco Lopez of Valley Ford, a Tomales High graduate, said his education has taught him to be a leader, to speak for himself and to help others. He will attend Santa Rosa Junior College. He is a Matthew Baxter Scholar.

Rubi Carmona Lopez of Point Reyes Station has received a variety of honors at Tomales High, particularly in math. A Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, she will attend Sonoma State and plans to be a nurse. 

Silvia Yesenia Lopez Torres of Point Reyes Station is first in her graduating class at Tomales High. A Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, her favorite subjects are science and math; she was accepted at Davis. 

Brayan Martin of Point Reyes Station is a graduate of Tomales who is moving with his family to Mexico, where he hopes to attend the University of Guadalajara. A Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, he had formerly planned to attend Sonoma State. The fund is honoring his change of plans for the coming year. 

Alfredo Jimenez Montoya of Petaluma is a Tomales High graduate who hopes to attend Sonoma State for a degree in criminal justice. He is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar.

Bryan Munoz of Bodega Bay is an outstanding Tomales graduate who was student council president, yearbook editor, soccer captain and part of the Summer Search program as a junior. A Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, he will attend the University of California, Santa Cruz to become an engineer. 

Maria de Jesus Olivares Leon of Sebastopol is a Tomales High graduate who will attend Santa Rosa Junior College to study culinary arts and nutrition. 

Sarah Ovard of Petaluma is an exceptional student graduating from Tomales who will attend Dominican University. A Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, she is a dance performer and plans to study psychology and its connection to the arts. 

Michael Pantoja of Tomales is a Tomales High graduate who was student of the month, the tennis M.V.P. and an active member of F.F.A. A Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, he plans to attend U.C. Santa Cruz, majoring in psychology and history. 

Gabriel Romo of Inverness received honors in many academic classes as well as in varsity baseball at Tomales High. He will attend Santa Rosa Junior College and transfer to Sonoma State. 

Cristina Vallejo of Valley Ford is an outstanding Tomales High graduate. Because of her love of animals and an internship at a veterinary hospital, Cristina, a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, will attend Santa Rosa Junior College to study to become a vet tech. 

Clara Wright of Rohnert Park is a Tomales graduate and an outstanding scholar. Her favorite clubs on campus were Inneract, a Rotary Service Club and F.F.A. A Blitzer & Xenry Scholar, she will attend U.C. Santa Cruz and major in psychology. 

Continuing scholars

Bronimir Adler-Ivanbrook, a senior at Swarthmore, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Leonor Bravo Vasquez, a sophomore at Sonoma State, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Lily Bryan, a junior at Evergreen, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Isela Carreras, a sophomore at San Francisco State, is a Blitzer & Xenry scholar. Jose Chavarria is a sophomore at Sonoma State. Colby D’Onofrio, a junior at Ithaca College, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Michael Edwards, a sophomore at Montana State, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Abigail Esquivias, a senior at U.C. Berkeley, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Dante Feliciano, a sophomore at Cal Poly, is a Robin Kroninger Scholar. Anthony Feliciano is a junior at Butte College. Ruby Fisher-Smith, a senior at U.C. Davis, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Yadira Flores Padilla, a sophomore, is at Santa Rosa Junior College. Ryan Giammona, a sophomore, is at Santa Rosa Junior College Dania Gomez, a junior, is at Sacramento State. Rocio Gomez, a senior, is at Sacramento State. Simon Gottreich, a senior at the University of Southern California, is a Dettner Scholar. Juliet Hadid, a junior at Bard, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Hailee Hankins, a sophomore at Oklahoma State, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Terra Hargens, a senior at U.C. Davis, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Emily Kehoe, a sophomore at Sonoma State, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Janelle Kehoe, a senior at College of Marin, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Justice Kelley, a senior at Sonoma State, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. William Lepori is a sophomore at Santa Rosa Junior College. Adriana Lopez Torres, a senior at U.C. Davis, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Katrina Lopez, a senior at Humboldt State, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Jose Lozano is a sophomore at Santa Rosa Junior College. Yesenia Martinez, a junior at Dominican University, is a Mildred More Scholar. Carmen Mercado is a sophomore at Santa Rosa Junior College.Maria Mercado is a sophomore at Sonoma State. Daniel Moretti, a junior at Oregon State, is a Stuart Scholar. Madeleine Murphy, a sophomore at George Washington University, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Olivia Piazza, a senior at U.C. Berkeley, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Daniel Potts, a senior at Chico State, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Julissa Ramirez Romo is a sophomore at California State University, Stanislaus. Mario Rosas Rico is a sophomore at Santa Rosa Junior College. Chelsey Souza, a senior at U.C. Davis, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. RaeLynne Talafili, a junior at Sonoma State, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Jack Tanner is a junior at Butte College. Anna Taylor, a sophomore at U.C. Davis, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Nestor Teodoro Chavez, a senior at U.C. Merced, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Adrian Vega, a sophomore at Stanford, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Sophia Vigeant, a sophomore at Lewis & Clark, is a Blitzer & Xenry Scholar. Billy Wright is a sophomore at Sonoma State. Hannah Yerington, a sophomore at Quest University, is a Maria Chernin Scholar.