Fiesta Bowl and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Award $95,500 to 28 Arizonans Through Empowering Diversity Scholarship
Five-year Program Total Reaches $447,000 to 119 Recipients to Provide Resources for Advancing Educational Journeys
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Through a partnership between the Fiesta Bowl Organization and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, 28 Arizonans received financial support to further pursue their educational aspirations by earning an Empowering Diversity Scholarship.
This year’s recipients bring the Empowering Diversity Scholarship’s cumulative total reach to 119 Arizona minority residents receiving $447,000 in the first five years of the program. For the 2024-25 school year, $95,500 in financial awards and wraparound support was granted to 28 individuals – 15 in the post-secondary track and 13 in the GED track.
“We are proud to support these 28 outstanding scholarship recipients and help them reach their educational goals,” said Pam Kehaly, President and Chief Executive Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. “Our partnership with the Fiesta Bowl enables us to reach more Arizona youth through programs and scholarships, empowering them and helping them grow. We’re honored to stand by these students and continue our work in supporting the communities we serve across Arizona.”
The Empowering Diversity Scholarship presented by Fiesta Bowl and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona was created in 2020 as a way for both organizations to support the dreams of Arizona minorities in their educational journeys. Enhancing the commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion, this year’s $95,500 was the largest single-year awarding since the creation of the scholarship.
“Learning about the career and life aspirations of this year’s Empowering Diversity Scholarship recipients is inspiring,” said Fiesta Bowl Executive Director & CEO Erik Moses. “It only further emphasizes the importance of this scholarship because for many of these recipients, those aspirations would not be attainable without it.”
The Empowering Diversity Scholarship awarded 15 high school seniors and current college students with $5,500 each in scholarship funding and additional support services, provided by Be A Leader Foundation and Education Forward Arizona, through the post-secondary track. Additionally, 13 Arizonans will be on track to obtain their GED by receiving $1,000 towards fees associated with the GED assessment, purchasing books, laptops and/or education-related resources and additional program support services provided by College Depot.
Of the 15 post-secondary scholarship recipients, eight will be or are currently attending Arizona State University, with six at University of Arizona. One student is enrolled at Mohave Community College this fall. Through the Empowering Diversity Scholarship, these recipients have the support necessary to become the next business leaders, health professionals, lawyers and engineers.
The 28 total recipients account for four counties across Arizona: Maricopa, Yuma, Yavapai and Mohave.
Arizona is the 10th most diverse state in the U.S., with the Empowering Diversity Scholarship presented by Fiesta Bowl and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona being a critical lever in helping historically underrepresented populations pursue higher education. Enrollment at Arizona’s three public state institutions from these communities continues to rise, according to the Arizona Board of Regents.
The 2024 Empowering Diversity Scholarship winners are listed below, alphabetically, with biographies and quotes. For more information on the Empowering Diversity Scholarship, please visit FiestaBowl.org/DiversityScholarship.