Community Notes:

Southwestern College Celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr at Scholarship Breakfast

MLK scholarship winners (from left to right) Stanley Johnson, Oliver Osuna, Ester Sakhi, Devon Spreight, and EOPS Counselor and MLK Scholarship Committee Chairperson Janelle Williams. Patrice Morris not pictured, was the fifth scholarship winner.

Southwestern College today celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. at its annual Scholarship Breakfast by awarding five student scholarships. Winners were chosen based on essays addressing King’s success in overcoming challenges and the inspiration he provided them to follow in their lives.

    “At Southwestern College, we are fulfilling the dream of Dr. King by empowering our students with knowledge and preparing them for success,” Dr. Angelica Suarez, Acting Superintendent/President of SWC, said. “We are proud to host this event and will continue our tradition of honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King.” 

Lincoln Acres Library Scholarship Honors Staff Member

    Seniors at Sweetwater High School are invited to apply for the Jose Luis Rodriguez Scholarship, a program sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Acres Library in honor of Jose Luis Rodriguez, a library staff member that was murdered in 2007. Applications are available now through June 1, 2011 at the Lincoln Acres Library, 2725 Granger Ave.

    Requirements for the scholarship include senior status at Sweetwater High School, a minimum GPA of 2.0, a 500 word essay on how school and library experiences motivate the applicant to continue his/her education, and proof of admittance to a college, university, or vocational/trade school.  The scholarship is funded entirely by the Friends through book sales and donations. Rodriguez was murdered on November 23, 2007 in a Chula Vista shooting just minutes before his eighteenth birthday. The homicide remains a mystery, and a $50,000 reward is being offered for its resolution.

    For more information on the Jose Luis Rodriguez Scholarship contact the Lincoln Acres Library at (619) 475-9880 or visit http://www.sdcl.org/jlr-scholarship.html.

El Cajon Library Hosts Credit and Bankruptcy Workshop

    Looking for tips on avoiding bankruptcy and managing your credit? The El Cajon Library, 201 E Douglas, is teaming up with the Housing Opportunities Collaborative (HOC) to host a credit and bankruptcy workshop on Wednesday, January 26, at 6 p.m. This workshop is free and will cover a variety of topics relating to financial and legal concerns when looking at your credit and considering bankruptcy options.

    Workshop topics will include how to check and understand your credit score, methods to improve your score, and the types of bankruptcy and how they affect your credit and future.

    “This workshop will address a need that the El Cajon community has identified,” said County Library Director José Aponte, “and it is our partnership with the HOC that offers the library the opportunity to provide our community with these vital tools and resources.”

    This workshop is part of a series of legal and financial workshops being offered at various county libraries.

    For more information, contact the HOC at (619) 283-2200 or visit www.sdcl.org.

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