Janessa Franco
1. Status
Received Acceptance Letter
2. What degree/certification do you intend to earn and what career do you plan to pursue with this attainment?
I intend to obtain a master's degree in psychology or another social science related field in order to pursue a career as a counselor or social worker.
3. Extra-Curricular Activities. List all school sponsored extracurricular activities and clubs. (ex: ASB, sports, cheerleading, mock trial, migrant speech and debate, FFA, Robotics, Interact, Mentoring, MECHA etc.) and/or school-sponsored community service programs. Include the year(s) in which you participated. Include your role and/or any office held.
Mentoring club since 2024, AAPI club (Asian American islander club) as of senior year 2025-26, Community service at Fillmore library during the summer of 2024.
4. Academic Honors and Extra-Curricular Awards. Please describe/list any awards, honors and/or recognition you received during in high school for the past four (4) years in high school.
AP Scholar Award from the College Board, Academic 11, I Received scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.
EAOP A-G award from Fillmore High School 10 & 11, Being on the A-G track
5. Community Involvement and Volunteer Service. List community service and community involvement activities. These might include church activities, babysitting, community service and volunteer hours not sponsored through your school, job or work experience. Include year(s) in which you participated in the activity.
Fillmore Library; Prepping/setting up for and cleaning up after events/activities, supervising, assisting during events/activities, creating and testing craft samples for activities; Summer 2024 33 hours and 15 minutes
6. Personal Statement/Essay. Compose a personal statement about your personal history, family background, perspectives, goals, and interests. Why did you choose this area of study (i.e.: music, medicine, etc.) and what are your career goals? In what ways will this scholarship enable you to pursue your goals? What do you see yourself doing in 5-10 years from now.
I grew up in Fillmore, but I lived in LA for the first few years. After my parents broke up and my dad moved back to LA, I often go visit and stay with him for a bit. No matter what Fillmore my home will be regardless of how long I stay in LA. I have grown in both my character and appreciation for my small town. It’s more open and peaceful than LA will ever be. I feel safer walking around town and as I grew in my faith in God, I also learned to appreciate his creation of the beautiful afternoon scenery of the town.
After high school, I want to attend a four-year university whether it be straight in or transferring after two years at a community college to get an associate’s and bachelor’s degree. Majoring in psychology or other social science related courses to prepare me for a career as a counselor or social worker. In 5-10 years, after I receive my degree, I hope to begin working as a therapist, counselor or even a social worker. To accomplish 3 major goals, be a light for Jesus and help people, plus a have a better life for me and my family.
I chose this path because Jesus tells his followers that they are the light of the world. We are called to make a positive impact on the world by loving and serving others radically. I would want to combine both my counseling knowledge and my faith to help people feel heard and important by reminding them how much they are cherished by God. I hope by reflecting God’s love, to help them feel supported enough to move forward in their lives
I enjoy talking to people about their problems and I know that in these professions, I would be able to help people by directly communicating with them about anything they need to better their life. I want to provide a safe & comfortable space for my clients to open up to me about their struggles so they can also see me as a service provider who truly cares about their well-being. I want to have a career where I can be creative, happy and successful but also allows me to directly help others. Growing up and firsthand experiencing my father’s alcoholism and its toll on my brother showed me how I did not want to be and I want to help people who are experiencing similar traumas.
Receiving this scholarship will help relieve some of the financial burden of having to pay for college. When I sit back and I think about my college choices and options, the cost rolls into the back of my head. I do not want costs to be the thing that holds me back from a school I really want to go to. I want to graduate college with little to no debt. Growing up, my mom and I lived with my grandma. This helped us out a lot financially. My dad, lived in Los Angeles with my brother. But eventually my grandma passed and my dad got incarcerated and sent to rehab due to DUI’s. This left my parents not only emotionally, mentally strained but as well as financially. My mom told me this is the 1st time in her life where she is actually independent, my mom knew she needed to start watching our spending since she didn’t have my grandma to financially support us anymore. Then my father missed out on a lot of work due to his time away, which placed the bills and rent on my brother. Ever since he’s returned, he has been struggling to pay rent on time and cover past due bills. Witnessing my parents struggle like this motivates me to go to college and receiving this scholarship would help cover that cost. So, I am motivated as a first-generation student to be the first person in my family to get a degree. To build a life for myself and my family with less financial struggle.
7. Letter of Recommendation.
To be added later.
8. Fillmore High School Transcript
To be added later.
