Y2LEF empowers Kern County students with scholarships, offers opportunities for higher education

February 15, 2024 /

From now until March 2, the Youth 2 Leaders Education Foundation (Y2LEF) will accept applications for their Kern County students’ scholarship program. The organization is dedicated to supporting low-income and underrepresented students in planning and funding their college education. 

For the last 20 years, Y2LEF has been giving out scholarships and hosting camps to raise the percentage of high school students going to college. Last year, Y2LEF gave out around 40 scholarships, which totaled up to approximately $30,000 and they continue to encourage students to apply. 

The organization also provides guidance and support services to ensure that the scholars make a successful transition to college and excel once they are there. 

“We are committed to helping more youth obtain post-secondary credentials, college certifications, and degrees that lead to meaningful employment. Since our inception, we have worked to increase college access and entry for young people across the Southern Central Valley and have expanded that work to support promising practices that lead to college persistence and completion,” the nonprofit organization’s website states. 

Y2LEF has the five following scholarships available along with a service and education award:

  • College Dream Fund Scholarship
    • This scholarship is dedicated to supporting undocumented students in their pursuit of higher education. The scholarship program was founded in 2010 by a group of community leaders and led by Dr. Jim Young. Since then, Y2LEF has continued the great work that the College Dream Fund has done for deserving students in Kern County. The amount of this scholarship is $500 – $1,000 for the academic year.
    • Must be a 2024 graduating, high school senior or current college student continuing their enrollment in college for the 2024 – 2025 academic year
    • Must be working on, or planning to work on, an undergraduate degree
    • Must be a first-generation college student
    • Must demonstrate financial need
    • Must have a minimum GPA of 2.5
    • Be a DREAMer or AB540 student
    • This scholarship is renewable
  • Future Leaders Scholarship
    • This is a merit-based scholarship awarded to students who have demonstrated academic achievement, goal setting, persistence through obstacles, and financial need. Students who are awarded this scholarship will receive $500 – $1,000 for the academic year.
    • Must be a 2024 graduating, high school senior or current college student continuing their enrollment in college for the 2024 – 2025 academic year
    • Must be working on, or planning to work on, an undergraduate degree
    • Must be a first-generation college student
    • Must demonstrate financial need
    • Must have a minimum GPA of 2.5
    • Be a U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident
    • This scholarship is renewable
  • Jake Cavazos Memorial Scholarship
    • This scholarship is dedicated to supporting Arvin High School undocumented students in their pursuit of higher education. Although living outside the area, Jake Cavazos returned often to actively participate in local fundraisers for DACAmented and undocumented students. His generosity and desire to help undocumented students and their families achieve the American Dream are reflected in this scholarship. The amount of this scholarship is $1,000 for the academic year.
    • Must be a 2024 graduating, high school senior or current college student continuing their enrollment in college for the 2024 – 2025 academic year
    • Must be working on, or planning to work on, an undergraduate degree or career technical certification leading to employment
    • Must be an Arvin High School senior or graduate
    • Must be a first-generation college student
    • Must demonstrate financial need
    • Must have a minimum GPA of 2.5
    • Be a DREAMer or AB540 student
    • This scholarship is non-renewable
  • Porfirio and Angelita Morales Memorial Scholarship
    • This scholarship is offered in memory of Porfirio and Angelita Morales. Porfirio and Angelita leave behind a legacy of valuing higher education for first-generation students. The amount of this scholarship is $500 – $1,000 for the academic year.
    • Must be a 2024 graduating, high school senior or current college student continuing their enrollment in college for the 2024 – 2025 academic year
    • Must be working on, or planning to work on, an undergraduate degree
    • Must be an Arvin High School graduate
    • Must be a first-generation college student
    • Must demonstrate financial need
    • Must have a minimum GPA of 2.5
    • Be a U.S. Citizen, Legal Permanent Resident, DREAMer, or AB540 student
    • This scholarship is non-renewable
  • Maria Esther Cardenas Mesa and Jose de Jesus Sanches Damian Memorial Scholarship
    • This merit-based scholarship is offered in memory of Maria Cardenas Mesa and Jose Sanches Damian. Maria and Jose leave behind a legacy of supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are resilient in achieving new levels of higher education. The amount of this scholarship is $250 for the academic year.
    • Must be a 2024 graduating, high school senior, current college student, or graduate student continuing their enrollment in college for the 2024-2025 academic year
    • Must be working on, or planning to work on an undergraduate or graduate degree
    • Must be a first-generation college student
    • Must demonstrate financial need
    • Must have a minimum GPA of 2.8
    • Be a U.S. Citizen, Legal Permanent Resident, DREAMer, or AB540 student
    • Applicants to this scholarship must write an additional 250-word minimum essay answering the following prompt: What experiences inspired you to pursue your field of study?
    • This scholarship is non-renewable
  • Service and Education Award in Memory of Javier Lozano
    • This award is offered in memory of Javier Lozano. Javier leaves behind a legacy of valuing our youth, and providing developing opportunities, in addition to community involvement and engagement. The amount of this award is $500 for the academic year.
    • Must be a 2024 graduating, high school senior
    • Must be a first-generation college student
    • Must demonstrate financial need
    • Must have a minimum GPA of 2.5
    • Be a U.S. Citizen, Legal Permanent Resident, DREAMer, or AB540 student
    • This scholarship is non-renewable

Applications can be submitted here by visiting the Y2LEF website. Students interested in applying for scholarships will have until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 2 to complete and submit their applications. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The website also notes that certain domains, such as kernhigh.org, cannot access the application. The organization implores students to use a personal email address to complete their application and also notes that access to the scholarship application requires signing into a Google Gmail Account. 

“We encourage students to apply to all of the scholarships because there’s a chance that you could qualify for one of them,” stated Gabriel Adame, the Executive Director of Y2LEF.

You don’t have to be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident to apply for a scholarship and the website states that the College Dream Fund Scholarship is only open for undocumented high school seniors. It also notes that if funding allows, current undocumented college students will also be considered for this scholarship.

Students are selected to receive a scholarship based on a comprehensive evaluation considering academic potential, personal background (i.e. program participation, low-income, first-generation, extracurricular activities, etc.) personal statement, and official letters of recommendation. 

In addition to these scholarships, Y2LEF is also currently hosting Cash 4 College workshops within local high schools throughout Kern County to help students with the new and updated Financial Aid Application. Students who attend one of these workshops have the opportunity to enter into a raffle for a $500 scholarship that would be put to use for college.

“I would recommend any students find out more information by going to our social media to find out when the next workshop will be happening at their high school,” said Adame. “This is so pivotal when going into higher education. Financial aid is such a big topic and some students might be intimidated to apply for financial aid, but that’s why Y2LEF is here.”

Victoria Rodgers

Victoria Rodgers is an editor and reporter for Kern Sol News. Born in Bakersfield, CA, she received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Rockford University in Illinois. She can be reached at victoria@southkernsol.org.