Pueblo East student among Colorado's prestigious 2025 Boettcher scholars
Rosales, who's set to graduate from East on May 24, is one of 50 high school students statewide and the only one in Pueblo County to receive the prestigious Boettcher Foundation Scholarship in 2025. As a Boettcher scholar, she receives an $80,000 award over four years with opportunities for supplemental aid and leadership development.
The school's student body president participated in several activities while at East including DECA, the East Aquilas Dance Team, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Gear Up, Junior Achievement, MEChA, National Honor Society, Speech and Debate, student council, Talon Team, track and field, and Upward Bound.
Additionally, she dedicated nearly 270 volunteer hours with the El Pueblo History Museum's Teen Mental Health Kickbacks, has handed out Thanksgiving meals to those in need with Tom and Louie's Cupboard, and has taught financial literacy skills to elementary school students through Junior Achievement.
Rosales told the Chieftain that her time at East has had a significant impact on her and equipped her with valuable leadership skills.
"It's such an amazing environment for students to grow," she said of her high school. "There's so many different staff members that are happy to help and there's also different students that have helped me along my entire journey... It means a lot to me to come from Pueblo East High School and also means a lot to be a first-generation student who was raised by a single mother."
Rosales' mother, Marlena Brown, also attended East High School, as did Rosales' grandmother, Laura Brown. After graduating from East, Rosales will attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins. She will study marketing and mass communication — passions cultivated through her participation in East's DECA program.
A three-time qualifier for the DECA Colorado State Career Development Conference, Rosales secured a fourth-place finish in the Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling category this year. She has also qualified for the International Career Development Conference twice. At this year's international conference, she made it to the finals.
The merit-based Boettcher Foundation scholarship has provided opportunities for high-achieving students since 1952. Applicants are evaluated on "superior scholastic ability/intellectual curiosity, leadership, service, character, and more," according to the foundation's website.
There are typically over 2,000 applicants annually for the Boettcher. Additional information about the scholarship and the foundation is available at boettcherfoundation.org.
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Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo East senior receives prestigious Boettcher scholarship
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