5 San Diego Students Win 'Badge Of Honor' Scholarships From Wheelhouse

SAN DIEGO, CA — Five students were recently awarded "Badge of Honor" scholarships, honoring the heroic efforts of San Diego County's first responders and their families.

Wheelhouse Credit Union gave $1,000 scholarships to five college-bound students in the county. In the fifth year of the Badge of Honor program, scholarships were awarded to students with a parent, grandparent or legal guardian who serve as an active member of law enforcement, fire protection service, healthcare or EMT in the San Diego region.

Award criteria included academic achievement, letters of recommendation, an essay about the first responder in their family, and a desire to make an impact on their schools and communities.

"We are proud to honor our first responders and their families and express our appreciation to these heroes for their service and dedication to our San Diego community through these scholarships," said Wheelhouse CEO and president Lisa Paul-Hill. "We congratulate these recipients for all their accomplishments. The heartfelt tributes conveyed by our award recipients demonstrated the tremendous impact, hard work and sacrifice made by their first responder family members. We wish each of them the very best of luck in their college journey ahead."

These are the 2024 Badge of Honor scholarship recipients:

• Natalie Guevara
  • School: Bonita Vista High School
  • City: Chula Vista
  • College Attending: University of Chicago
  • Family First Responder: Fire Captain/Paramedic, City of San Diego Fire and Rescue
• Chaeli Hammes
  • School: Valley Center High School
  • City: Valley Center
  • College Attending: Franciscan University
  • Family First Responder: Fire Captain, Vista Fire Department
• Lacey Oliver
  • School: Santana High School
  • City: Santee
  • College Attending: Grossmont-Cuyamaca
  • Family First Responder: Special Agent, California Department of Justice
• Samantha Richardson
  • School: Patrick Henry High School
  • City: San Diego
  • College Attending: La Salle
  • Family First Responder: Fire Captain, City of San Diego, Fire and Rescue
• Heaven Woldai
  • School: Preuss School
  • City: San Diego
  • College Attending: Harvard College
  • Family First Responder: Respiratory Therapist, Scripps Mercy Hospital

The Badge of Honor scholarships are in addition to the credit union's Sustainability College Scholarship Program, which was created in 2005 to support San Diego area high school seniors. Since the creation of these programs, Wheelhouse has awarded $126,000 in scholarships to local students.