A trip to a Fresno market for her favorite snack resulted in a $25,000 scholarship for a second-year nursing student at Fresno State.
Jennifer Venegas Ramírez received the “Feed Your Dreams” sweepstake scholarship at a special, on-campus ceremony on Wednesday.
The Edison High graduate was one of four national winners of the inaugural contest sponsored by Marinela, the 70-year-old Mexican baked goods company with a heavy presence in the Latino community in the United States.
“I went to buy some Gansitos – they’re my favorites, especially when you freeze them! – at a Foods Co. and I saw the promotion,” said Venegas Ramírez, who was a valedictorian in high school.
She was doing homework when she noticed an email with the subject line “Marinela Feed Your Dreams Grand Prize Winner.”
“I gasped and said, ‘There is no way I won!,’” said the 19-year-old pre-health major. She thought it was a trick until further investigation.
“I was super happy and excited.”
She will use the scholarship to help pay for nursing school on her road to becoming a pediatric nurse.
“I love working with kids,” said Venegas Ramírez, who was accompanied at the ceremony by her parents and brother, who is a freshman majoring in business at Fresno State.
Arcadio Venegas, who works at a fruit-packing plant, was pleased with the scholarship.
“This is a great opportunity for her to continue studying,” he said in Spanish. “This university is the best in the area, and the scholarship will help her well in her studies.”
Venegas Ramírez was among 21,573 college students who entered the sweepstakes. Her name was drawn along with those of students from the University of Colorado, Drexel University, and the University of Texas at Arlington.
“We applaud organizations that invest in future leaders by providing scholarship support because they recognize the impact of higher education as a key piece of the puzzle to build stronger communities,” said Kent Willis, Fresno State vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.