Local Scholarships and Grants
We award annual scholarships to girls and women who have a local connection to Morgan Hill. Please review the individual scholarship applications for details.
High School Seniors
Each spring, AAUW Morgan Hill awards several scholarships to women entering college and graduating from Live Oak, Ann Sobrato and Central High Schools. Students completing the “Common Scholarship Application,” available at their high school and due for submission to the high school counseling office in early December, are considered for these scholarships. Finalists are interviewed by an AAUW member panel.
For an application and further instructions, inquire at the high school's counseling office.
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Some of our 2022 High School Scholarship recipients with Scholarship Chair Stacy Moeder at AAUW’s spring lunch.
2022 High School Scholarship Recipients
Name | High School | College | Major or Field of Study |
Ashlee Atkins | Live Oak High School | Cuesta College | Agricultural Business |
Hailey Haynes | Live Oak High School | CSU San Marcos | Pre-Nursing |
Hannah Herrick | Ann Sobrato High School | Cal Poly Pomona | Botany |
Diya Kandhra | Ann Sobrato High School | UC Berkeley | Environmental Studies |
Elise Kim | Live Oak High School | UC Merced | Computer Science |
Madelynne McKenzie | Ann Sobrato High School | Grand Canyon University | Criminal Justice |
Gelasia Tiwana (Margie Snively Leadership recipient) | Ann Sobrato High School | UC Berkeley | Microbiology & Neurobiology |
Kasheen Kitzman | Central High School | Gavilan College | General Studies |
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Re-Entry/Deferred Entry Scholarships
Our local AAUW branch invites women with a connection to the local community to consider applying for one of these scholarships. Only current or past Morgan Hill residents or students who attended school in the Morgan Hill Unified School District are eligible. We welcome your application if you have a Morgan Hill connection and meet these additional criteria:
Re-Entry Scholarship
- You are re-entering college after a break or interruption in your undergraduate studies.
- You are re-enrolling or already are enrolled at a community college and plan to continue at a four-year institution or you are re-enrolling or already are enrolled at a four-year institution at this time.
- You are working toward an Associate or Bachelor degree on a part-time (6 units) to full-time (12 units) basis.
- You are able to demonstrate financial need.
- You are able to provide verification of enrollment for the upcoming fall and/or spring term in order to receive any AAUW scholarship funds.
Deferred Entry Scholarship
- You are transitioning to college and entering college for the first time after a break or interruption after graduating from high school or obtaining GED equivalent. (Note that this category also includes students graduating from the Morgan Hill Community Adult School.)
- You are enrolling at a community college or enrolling at a four-year college/university at this time.
- You will be working toward an Associate or Bachelor degree or will be taking career training courses leading to a specific certificate program on a part-time (6 units) to full-time (12 units) basis.
- You are able to demonstrate financial need.
- You are able to provide verification of enrollment for the upcoming fall and/or spring term in order to receive any AAUW scholarship funds.
Women may apply for one of these scholarships by completing the appropriate section of the application. Applications are due May 16.
All 2022 Re-Emtry/Deferred Entry scholarships were awarded to Morgan Hill Community Adult School graduates. Special thanks to Shannon Lane, Principal, Morgan Hill Community Adult School and Career Pathways, and MHCAS Counselor/Teacher Patty Healy for their support in identification of scholarship candidates.

L-R: Donna Dicker (AAUW MH Scholarship Chair), Patty Healy (MHCAS Counselor), Vicky Reader (AAUW MH Re-Entry/Deferred Entry Scholarship Chair)
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2022 Students Receiving Re-Entry / Deferred Entry College Scholarships
Name | College | Major or Field of Study | |
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Cheyanne Baleria | Gavilan College | General Studies |
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Fabiane Dutra da Silva | Evergreen College | General Studies |
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Cleopatra Ellis | Gavilan College | Nursing |
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Amber Saldana | Gavilan College | Phlebotomist Certification |
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Rosemary Terry | Merced College | Administrative Professional Program |
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Amie Tinsley | Sierra or American River College | Business and Sign Language Certification |
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Lauren Jenkins Healthcare Profession Scholarship
This scholarship is in honor of Lauren Jenkins, a clinical geneticist and former member of the AAUW Morgan Hill Branch. Lauren believed in the advancement of women and girls through education and actively worked with them to advance their technical skills and scientific goals.
Applicants must be accepted into a formal accredited university-based Healthcare Program- which leads to a professional practice license in fields such as nursing, dental, laboratory, medicine, molecular, pharmacy, radiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, veterinary, etc. Scholarship amount: $2,000
Applications are due May 16. The AAUW Morgan Hill Scholarship Committee will review the applications, make the final selection, and notify the winners.
2022 Lauren Jenkins Healthcare Profession Scholarship Recipients
Name | College | Major or Field of Study | |
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Pamela Frederick | San Jose State | Nursing |
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Emilie Allaert | UC Davis | Medicine |
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Fritts Family STEM Scholarship
Susan Oldham-Fritts and her late husband David Fritts were STEM professionals with a shared passion for education and mentoring women and girls in the fields of science and engineering. Susan, a retired researcher, chemical engineer, and branch member, has been actively involved in Tech Trek, GEMS, the Synopsys Championship, South Valley Science and Engineering Fair, and various local science outreach activities. In addition to helping her with many of these activities, David was a failure analysis engineer who was instrumental in training female graduate engineers in the electronics industry. Their commitment to equity for all in the STEM fields lives on through this scholarship.
Applicants must currently be a freshman, sophomore, or junior working toward a bachelor’s degree in science, math, technology, or engineering and planning to graduate from an accredited four-year college or university. They must live or have lived within the Morgan Hill Unified or Gilroy Unified School District boundaries. They must have a demonstrable financial need. Scholarship amount: $1000.
Applications are due May 16. The AAUW Morgan Hill Scholarship Committee will review the applications, interview candidates, make the final selection, and notify the winners.
2022 Fritts Family STEM Scholarship Recipient
No qualifying applications were received for the upcoming academic year. |
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Enrollment Verification (Required For All Above Scholarships)
Enrollment Verification
All scholarship money for the above scholarships is paid, after enrollment is verified, directly to the college that the student is attending.
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Keeping In Touch (KIT) Grants
Previous AAUW scholarship winners who are currently undergraduates have the opportunity each year to apply for supplemental grants to support their continuing education. The amount of each grant will depend on the number of qualified applicants each year, but the minimum grant to any qualified applicant will be $500.


We would like to extend a special thanks to Cecelia Ponzini and the Edward Boss Prado for their generous donation and commitment for ongoing support of AAUW Morgan Hill’s local scholarships. Your support ensures that we are able to continue providing annual grants to support our past scholarship recipients through completion of their undergraduate studies.
Please complete our KIT Grant Application. Applications are due February 1. The AAUW Morgan Hill Scholarship Committee will review the applications and make the final selection.
2022 Keeping in Touch Grant Recipients
Name | College | Major or Field of Study |
Adriana Arroyo | Gavilan College | Health Science |
Shirley Antonio Arriaga | San Jose State | Industrial Systems Engineering |
Abigail Brendlen | UC Santa Barbara | Communications |
Sophia Carrillo | Milwaukee School of Engineering | Nursing |
Breanna Casas | San Jose State | Nursing |
Taylor Conely | CSU Fullerton | Early Childhood Development |
Amanda Cummings | San Jose State | Business Administration |
Emily Dinh | UC Santa Barbara | Psychology and Brain Science |
Aliyah Habib | UC Santa Barbara | Political Science |
Virginia Hendersen | San Jose State | Economics |
Lindsey Hilesland | University of British Columbia | Geography |
Katelyn Lemieux | UCLA | Asian Humanities |
Shalimar McGinnis | Grossmont College | International Relations |
Sruchi Patel | UCLA | Film and Television |
Yessenia Reed | Howard University | Biology and Spanish |
Grace Sullivan | UC Davis | Psychology |