Pan American Association honors 11 scholars

Published on May 15, 2023

The Lakewood Pan American Association's annual scholarship program invites high school seniors who reside in Lakewood, regardless of where they go to school, to apply for scholarships ranging from $500 to $1500 to help pay for future college or trade school costs.

This year, the Pan American Association chose to honor 11 high school seniors from Lakewood whose character is of high caliber. They each have:

• Demonstrated good citizenship and respect for human values.
• Volunteered in their community and school.
• A sincere desire to complete a post high-school education.
• Excelled academically.

The 2023 scholarship recipients are:

In order from left to right

• Olivia White (Lakewood High School)
• Neha Neelankavil (Artesia High School)
• Michael Hurtado (Lakewood High School)
• Nina Fife (Polytechnic High School)
• Kayla Chavez (Mayfair High School)
• Crystal Duncan (Millikan High School)
• Christina Klein (Ernest S. McBride High School)
• Hazel Meara Castro (Saint Anthony High School)
• Zahid Ponce (Saint Anthony High School)
• Valerie Moreno (Saint Joseph High School)
• Meghan Patterson (Valley Christian High School)

Scholarship winners served as Pan American Ambassadors during Lakewood’s week-long celebration of Pan American friendship in early May. 

Congratulations and best wishes to each of them!

The Lakewood Pan American Association is a longstanding civic organization that provides diverse cultural and educational opportunities for residents of Lakewood. Since its creation, the scholarship program has awarded over $225,000 to recipients to help with their higher education costs.