DIXON, CA (MPG) - Thanks to the annual Festival of Trees, Kiwanis Club of Dixon is honoring four Dixon High School graduates with $500 Scholarships each. They are Emily Aguirre, Stephanie Garcia, Alondra Herrera and Annabel Rubio.

Aguirre will be attending Sacramento State University and majoring in Biochemistry with an ultimate goal to become an obstetrician and gynecologist. She will be the first in her family to pursue a degree as both her parents emigrated from Mexico to escape poverty.

"I want to help my community by educating women about their own reproductive health," Aguirre said. Impacted by an experience with her mother's health, she said, "I want to become a person involved in the community with helping women who have difficulties but can't afford consultations or checkups or not having knowledge about their bodies."

Aguirre is active in the Catholic Church and took a very difficult schedule of AP classes throughout high school while still participating in soccer, tennis, and track and field. She is bilingual.

Stephanie Garcia also wants to become a doctor but working in Pediatrics. When she was a sophomore, her 9-year-old cousin was diagnosed with a severe life-threatening condition and had to have several brain surgeries.

"When I visited her in the hospital, she had a team of neurologists helping her get better. Both my cousin and her doctors inspired me to pursue a medical career," Garcia said. She will be attending California State University Dominguez Hills to pursue Biochemistry.

Garcia was involved in the Key Club and has been an active volunteer in the community including collecting for victims in the recent Camp Fire and Tubb Fires.

Alondra Herrera Mondragon will be living at home while she attends Woodland Community College and after completing general education requirements, she'll pursue her nursing degree at Sacramento State University

When her grandfather was in the hospital, she noted that there were not enough bilingual nurses.

"Observing the nurses and their lack of resources made me realize I can make a difference. That language barrier made me feel I can make an immediate impact in helping other families and that would be very fulfilling to me," she said.

Mondragon made CSF honors and played on the Varsity Tennis Team all four years of high school. She volunteered at various community functions, tutored, and worked part time at Pedrick Produce.

Annabel Rubio is also interested in Biochemistry as the starting path to becoming a doctor possibly in genetics. Rubio had a 4.3 GPA, was ranked 4th in her class, and is enrolled in Cal Berkeley’s pre-med program. She will also be the first in her family to get a degree.

Rubio grew up watching television shows like Grey’s Anatomy and medical videos like Chubbyemu on YouTube videos. In her freshman year, she took Geometry, Computer Science, and US History at Solano College all while at Dixon High School taking honors classes and playing in the Dixon High School Band, competing on the swim team, and being involved in the Rotary Interact and ‘Girls Who Code’ clubs.

She enjoyed tutoring tough science subjects to younger students and gives credit to her mother for nurturing her passion for learning.

“If it weren’t for my mother’s sacrifice of being a stay-at-home mom, I don’t think I would be the person I am today,” she said. “She has provided me all the tools necessary to go out into the world and flourish mentally, physically, and emotionally.”

Past recipients are: 2012 Devon Minnema; 2013 John Loarca; 2014 Camarina Augusto and Rebecca Immel; 2015 Stefany Pineda and Miranda Sanchez; 2016 Madelyn Larson and Cheyenne Shipley, 2017 Alyssa Ponce and Emily Ziegler; 2018 Bethany Bodine and Grace Lightfoot; 2019 Crystal Chien, Beau Carabajal, Mei-lin Hanna and Vadisha Patel.

The Kiwanis Club of Dixon is the parent organization of the DHS Key Club. For more information on the Dixon Kiwanis Club, email [email protected] or call (707) 676-5413.