Meet the 2017 RFTG Book Scholarship Recipient!

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Cecilia Orduña has been selected as this year’s winner for the highly competitive Reach for the Gold Book Scholarship. We received several outstanding applications and equally exceptional recommendations making the selection process very competitive for our Scholarship Review Committee this year.

Ms. Orduña will pursue a degree in Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University at the City of New York in the Fall 2017.  Her dream is to acquire a job at a non-profit organization that is devoted to granting access to drinking water to impoverished communities in Central and South America and plans to pursue her Master’s degree in the same field.   During her undergraduate experience, she plans to become a fierce advocate and voice for women and Latinos to pursue more STEM careers.

As a student at the Ward Melville High School, Ms. Orduña excelled academically while managing a rigorous schedule of Honors and Advanced Placement classes, maintaining an impressive Grade Point Average of 4.0.   She not only achieved a Girl Scouts Gold Award through a volunteer project she developed and implemented for the United Veterans Beacon House, but also carved out time to enable her creative side to flourish as a key player in the production of her school’s yearbook since the 10^th grade.  Most notably, her involvement in her local Girl Scouts club since 2004 undoubtedly allowed her to build a strong work ethic full of compassion and commitment for those in need.  Upon graduation, she plans to participate in Engineers Without Borders as she continues her lifelong journey to the commitment of helping others around the world.

The Reach for the Gold Book Scholarship recognizes academic and benevolent achievement among young women of color, and supports continued success through the first year of college.  Therefore, we believe Ms. Orduña embodies the values of the scholarship and will receive $1,000 towards achieving her academic goals.