The Paso del Norte Community Foundation (PdNCF), on behalf of Carl and Sandra Wright, is pleased to announce that Ms. Ana Paola Aranzola, a senior at Loretto Academy, has been selected as the very first recipient of the Carl L. & Sandra Wright Scholarship for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), an award in the amount of $5,000. 

A review and scoring committee comprised of current and former STEM professionals passionate about the advancement of women in STEM careers invested their time and expertise to evaluate more than 40 applications for the scholarship.  There were many outstanding and deserving applicants, who made the process a challenging one, but the committee was confident in the scoring methodology that ranked Ms. Aranzola as the top choice.

Ms. Aranzola intends to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering upon graduation from high school.  “It is truly an honor to be recognized as a woman in STEM. I am very thankful for this incredible opportunity that the Paso del Norte Community Foundation has given me. The scholarship will help my family and I relieve the hardship of affording a good education. This award will help me launch my aspirations to become a Biomedical Engineer and give back to my community. I plan to one day be able to help and inspire students to achieve their goals in STEM fields just as you have helped me.”

Carl and Sandra Wright established the scholarship in late 2019, to recognize female undergraduate students majoring in STEM fields.  The scholarship honors the outstanding women scientists and engineers who Carl is proud to have had as colleagues in a shared pursuit of discovery and creation.

Carl was particularly pleased that Ms. Aranzola is pursuing a career in Biomedical Engineering since he spent 30 years of his career working in the same field.  “I was amazed at the level of qualification of the entire application cohort and I was especially impressed by the significant amount of service Ms. Aranzola contributed to her community in addition to successfully undertaking a rigorous academic schedule.” Carl added that he is sure that every one of the applicants can have a successful career in STEM and make important and lasting contributions to mankind. 

Mica Short, Vice President of the Development, explained that PdNCF is honored to facilitate philanthropic efforts such as the Wright STEM Scholarship.  "It is a joy to work with people like the Wrights who want to make a significant impact in someone’s life and to see someone like Ms. Aranzola earn a tremendous gift to help her achieve her dreams," says Ms. Short.

To learn more about the Carl L. and Sandra Wright Scholarship for Women in STEM and other Paso del Norte Community Foundation scholarships please visit: https://pdnfoundation.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships