Colleges / Campus scene : OCC Student Wins Three Scholarships

Guadalupe Vidales, a winner of numerous campus honors at Orange Coast College, has won three scholarships totaling nearly $15,000 from Soroptimist International of the Americas.

Vidales, 35, said the money will help her get through her first year at UC Irvine, where she is transferring in the fall to pursue a degree in psychology.

“I’m not surprised at all that she is the recipient of the Soroptimist scholarships,” said Dora Cozad, her campus advisor. “She’s very deserving. Guadalupe is far more than just a student on campus, she’s an active participant in the day-to-day affairs of this institution.”

Since enrolling at OCC, Vidales has volunteered at the OCC Children’s Center, worked as a Spanish language tutor at the OCC Tutorial Center and as a mentor at the Re-Entry Center, a program designed to help single parents who are returning to school.

She is also a co-founder of the school’s Latino Club and has maintained a 3.75 grade-point average since she enrolled in 1993.

Vidales said her goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree so she can pursue her dream of becoming a high school teacher.

Soroptimist International is a service organization for executive and professional women with 47,000 members in 1,500 clubs. The group’s awards program is for women who are heads of households and are completing undergraduate college work.