Pamela Crabajales. Photo by Victor Moreno

Maricopa High School graduate Pamela Crabajales received this year’s top scholarship from Desert Schools Federal Credit Union.

The company gave out $27,500 to seven Arizona seniors for their volunteer service within the community. Of that, $10,000 went to Crabajales, who plans to attend Grand Canyon University in the fall to earn a nursing degree. Learn more about her here.

She has volunteered more than 100 hours this year with the National Honor Society and Service Before Self. She began volunteering her freshman year after realizing how rewarding it was to give back to others.

Another MHS graduate is among other recipients from Desert Schools. Rachael Perez received $2,500.

“It is a tremendous honor to provide young members of our community with financial assistance for college, and to thank them for all they’ve done for others,” said Jeff Meshey, Desert Schools CEO. “They inspire me and our organization, and awarding these scholarships is something I look forward to every year.”

Students who are interested in applying for the 2018 Desert Schools Community Service Scholarship should begin their volunteer efforts immediately to help build up their necessary community service hours. Additionally, recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher to be eligible to apply for the scholarship program. Applications will start being accepted again this fall. Visit www.desertschools.org/scholarship for more details.