Mount Angel Chamber of Commerce

2024 Scholarship Recipients

The Mt. Angel Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is pleased to announce the 2024 Junior First Citizen and Maureen Ernst Memorial Scholarship winners.

The Junior First Citizen Scholarship is modeled after the First Citizen award and recognizes students with outstanding and all-around community involvement in school, volunteerism, and leadership roles. The Junior First Citizen scholarship recipient this year is Sailor Hill. Sailor is the ASB Treasurer and president of FBLA at John F. Kennedy High School. She also volunteers at the library's "Ukes for Youth" program working with 13 students between the ages of 6 - 12 during the summer. Sailor serves in the student councilor position on the Mt. Angel City Council and interns as a correspondent for Our Town. She has a passion for politics and music and believes in the power of community service and giving back to society. She plans to study at the University of California Berkeley with the goal to become a journalist. The Chamber is very pleased to award Sailor with an unrestricted $2,000 scholarship

The Maureen Ernst Memorial Scholarship was created in memory of long-time Chamber of Commerce board member and incredible community volunteer, Maureen Ernst. This scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated volunteerism above and beyond their peers. This scholarship is funded by the Hazelnut Fest, one of Maureen's favorite projects, which is held annually each December in her memory. The recipient of the Maureen Ernst Memorial Scholarship is Manya Vaquera. Manya partnered with the American Red Cross and with the help of John F. Kennedy ASB members, planned a successful blood drive in March of this year. Manya's dedication and perseverance provided the school and community with the opportunity to donate blood for the first time since 2019. Manya believes that community service is the cornerstone to human interaction, providing support and a sense of belonging. For Manya, engaging in community service and giving back to the community reflects a sense of social responsibility. Manya plans to attend Linfield College to major in Nursing with the goal to become a NICU registered nurse. The Chamber is pleased to award Manya with an unrestricted $2,000 scholarship.