1040 Whitley Ave., Corcoran CA 93212   |   Phone: (559) 992-3115

Corcoran High School seniors Samuel Nieto and Carlos Vega have been named this year’s winners of the Colonel James G. Boswell Scholarship. Each student received a full four-year scholarship in the amount of $25,000 per year for tuition, room and board.

Nieto scored an 1110 on the SAT, was ranked ninth in his class and carried a grade point average of 4.01. While attending CHS, Samuel was named a homecoming candidate and played soccer all four years. He was also a member of the CSF (California Scholastic Federation), MEChA, EPIC and FFA (Future Farmers of America). He also participated in the TRIO Educational Talent Search.
Outside of school, Nieto spent his time performing community service. He helped with his church working to provide Christmas Baskets to the needy, volunteered for clean-up day and for family events. He was also a volunteer child care provider.
Samuel, who is the son of Laura and Samuel Nieto, says he was shocked but happy when he received the news since this is something he has been working towards since a student at John Muir.
“It is an immense honor to have been named a Boswell Scholar. I first knew about the existence of this scholarship when I was in eighth grade. Once I gained knowledge about it I made it one of my top goals to obtain the scholarship,” Samuel added. “I came into high school determined to do whatever was needed of me in order to get this scholarship, this is why knowing I won still feels so surreal to me. The happiness I felt when I opened the letter saying I had won is indescribable. I am truly thankful for this opportunity and more determined than ever to pursue all my future goals.”
As a first generation college student Samuel will pursue those goals at the University of California Santa Cruz.​ However, he was also accepted to UC Santa Barbara, UC Merced, Cal Poly SLO, Sacramento State, Cal State East Bay and Fresno State. 
“I chose UCSC because after researching which college would be a perfect fit for me I came to the conclusion that UCSC was the one. The campus is beautiful, there is a lot of diversity within the students, and most importantly they have the major that I believe suits me,” Nieto commented. “I plan to attend UCSC to obtain a Bachelor’s in Business Management.”
Samuel plans to become a Financial Analyst. He wants to work for and help major companies find the most efficient ways to handle their finances along with knowing which investments will benefit the company as a whole. He also plans to be involved on campus while attending UCSC and apply for internships.
Nieto is grateful for the doors the Col. J.G. Boswell Scholarship has already opened for him.
“First and foremost, I would like to thank the Boswell family for awarding me this scholarship. Prior to receiving this scholarship, my college decision was still up in the air due to the cost of attending college. Now I can proudly say financial issues will not play a role in my college career. My top goal of obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree will now be more accessible thanks to the help of the Boswell Family,” Nieto said. “I also want to let the Boswell family know that I will work twice as hard as I did in high school in order to show that they did not make a mistake by picking me as one of the Boswell Scholarship winners. I will forever be grateful to the Boswell Family for awarding me with such an honorable award. I am ready for all the ups and downs I will face in college and I will make sure I do not disappoint. Once again, thank you Boswell Family for choosing me as one of the winners.”
Carlos Vega is the other CHS senior who received the scholarship. The son of Nora and Carlos Vega, he is ranked first in his class and has a grade point average of 4.22. 
Carlos was honored to be given the scholarship.
“It is a great honor to be named a Boswell Scholar along with all of the other amazing Boswell winners. This scholarship is an incredible opportunity for any student and I am so grateful that the Boswell committee was able to recognize my hard work,” Vega said. “Over the last four years, I did my absolute best and more, to be able to become another addition to this hardworking group of people and it feels incredibly surreal that I am finally here. Being named a Boswell scholar is a massive achievement that I am so excited about and I can’t wait to see how much it’ll change my college experience.”
Carlos recorded an 1150 on his SAT and has chosen to attend the University of California Davis. Other colleges he was accepted to included UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. However he chose UC Davis because he wants to be a veterinarian.
“I will be majoring in Animal Biology because ever since I was younger, I have loved animals and was fascinated by them. I read thousands of books regarding every animal I could, watched many TV shows on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel, and learned just about everything I could about them. From that interest, it became my dream to become a veterinarian, whether it be for small animals or marine animals,” Carlos noted. “So, in order to get there in the future, I plan to attend UC Davis and get a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Biology. After that, I plan to apply to medical school to complete the four year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program to obtain my DVM degree.”
Vega has had four-years of high school having participated in a various activities. Carlos was in ASB (Associated Student Body) for three years holding the ASB President position for two year and was ASB vice-president one year. He was a member of EPIC for four years serving as EPIC president for two years. Carlos was in MEChA for four years and was the MEChA President for one year. He also participated in Student Voice for two years, Interact for two years, CSF for four years, FFA for two years and Academic Decathlon for one year. He also swam at CHS for three years and played water polo one year.
His volunteerism and community service outside of class included volunteering at the Valley Animal Haven Animal Shelter, cleaning up the highways and at Cesar Chavez and Burnham Smith parks. He helped plant flowers at local parks, volunteered for Rotary, read to student at John C. Fremont School, delivered presents to patients at Valley Children’s Hospital, sold newspapers for Kid’s Day, helped at Corcoran’s 100th Christmas Celebration and served as cabin counselor at SCICON.
Carlos is grateful to the Boswell Family for their generous donation of a scholarship each year to a CHS senior.
“The biggest thing I would like to say to the Boswell family is thank you so much. Thank you for donating money to help fund a scholarship that recognizes students’ abilities, while also helping them pay for college. Many students, including myself, have huge dreams that they plan to follow after high school and in so many situations, money is a big issue. But, thanks to your generosity and kindness, those students that worked hard and performed well are getting the opportunity to actually pursue their dreams in college,” Vega commented. “Especially in a small town like Corcoran, students don’t receive as much help or aren’t as recognized, but because of you guys, you give us the chance to make a name for ourselves in the real world. We are given the opportunity to prove that students from a small community are stronger than we know and can reach for the stars as high as anyone else. So, thank you to the incredible Boswell family for acknowledging the outstanding achievements made by Corcoran High students and granting us this scholarship so that we can make you proud.”
 The annual Col. J.G. Boswell scholarships are provided to Corcoran High School seniors by The James G. Boswell Foundation. The foundation began offering the scholarships in 1956.
 
 

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