This year local scholarships were done slightly differently. The goal was to take the application process into the modern age. Ms. Loving put a lot of time into uploading every local scholarship onto a website called “Going Merry.” It was done this way so that when Ms. Loving decided to retire, her predecessor would be able to take it over with ease. 

“Back in the day when I first started working at Selma High (2005), local scholarship applications had to be printed out, not just one copy but two copies.” Said Loving “Then I found Going Merry is a free scholarship and financial aid platform”

The change to an online scholarship platform would cause the process to go much smoother.

”The platform is easy for the students (they even have an app so students can apply right from their super smart phone,” Said Loving.

The pandemic has made it so that Selma High School cannot host a scholarship night like done in the past. This is because there is not enough room in the dining hall to host every senior and meet the guidelines set by Fresno County. The local organizations which offer scholarships took it upon themselves to hold their own events.

One way organizations are celebrating their scholarship recipients is by posting pictures of them on their social media each day. This is a great way for them to honor the recipients without having to host a full banquet type event as was done in the past. Robertson Guerra Insurance is an example of an organization that is doing this. 

Another way organizations are celebrating their scholarship recipients is by having a small walk through awards night. Only the recipient and their parents are able to attend. This is a great option for groups that want to do something more traditional. An organization who is doing it like this is the Kiwanis Club of Greater Selma Area.

Knowing the impact that COVID-19 has had on our community, we are so grateful that these organizations have continued to encourage and support us as we begin the next step in our educational journey.