Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Nevada® Awards 37 Scholarships

RENO, Nev. - May 1, 2013 - PRLog -- Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Nevada will host the 13th annual RMHC Scholarship Award Ceremony on Friday, May 3, 2013 at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa. At the ceremony, thirty-seven high school students from northern Nevada will receive needs based college scholarships.

Gabriela Larios of Reno, NV is one of thirty-seven students awarded a prestigious Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) scholarship by RMHC Northern Nevada. Gabriella realized at an early age that she had two choices in life: to settle for less than her potential or to get an education. “My family is not perfect, but I have learned from their mistakes and have been inspired by their work ethic. I will be the first person in my family to graduate with an honors diploma and the first to go to a university.” said Larios.

Every year, RMHC Northern Nevada distributes more than $91,000 in scholarship dollars to area students. The goal of the RMHC U.S. Scholarship Program is to provide resources to students who need financial assistance to attend college.

“It is our goal to help make the dream of a college education a reality for students who may not otherwise attend college,” said Marty Ozer, Executive Director. "Unfortunately, many of those students, like Gabriela, cannot afford to get the education of their dreams. We want students to reach their full potential. To help them accomplish this, RMHC Northern Nevada offers scholarships to students in financial need who have demonstrated academic achievement, leadership and community involvement."

In her application essay Larios said that she sets goals that seem out of reach and bigger than what she can accomplish because those goals motivate her and make her a stronger person. She plans to become a pediatrician and sees it not only as a career but a way to give back to her community. RMHC Northern Nevada believes in her potential. She has the work ethic to achieve her goals and has demonstrated this by maintaining a 4.52 grade point average.

The RMHC U.S. Scholarship program is the second largest scholarship program of its kind in northern Nevada, second only to the Millennium Scholarship Program in the number of scholarships awarded each year. This program has awarded over $871,000 in scholarships to 639 students in northern Nevada since 2000; this includes $632,900 in first year scholarships as well as $238,950 in renewable scholarship awards.

Students interested in applying for a RMHC Scholarship may contact Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Nevada or visit http://rmhc-reno.org for more information. Scholarship applications will be available again this fall.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Nevada

Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Nevada creates and supports programs that directly improve the health, education and well-being of children and families. Without the support of the community we could not do the work we do. While we cannot make medicine taste better or take away painful treatments, we can lessen the financial and emotional burden a family faces when their child is sick. Through the Reno Ronald McDonald House®, The Ronald McDonald Family Room®, The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, The RMHC® U.S. Scholarship Program and the Travel-for-Treatment Program, we ensure that 1,500 families a year have the stability and resources they need to get and keep their children healthy and happy. For more information, please visit http://rmhc-reno.org follow us on twitter (@RMHCReno) or like us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/RMHCNorthernNevada)

Ronald McDonald House Charities, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile are all registered trademarks of McDonald’s Corporation or its affiliates and are used with permission.