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Self-Help Credit Union in DeLand, like its three dozen counterparts in Florida, Virginia, and North and South Carolina, is offering college students a chance to receive a $1,000 scholarship to help further their studies.
According to a news release, applicants will be evaluated on their leadership and proven commitment to serving our community. Students must be enrolled in an accredited postsecondary educational institution, which includes colleges, universities, technical, trade and vocational schools.
“I believe that our Scholarship Program is newsworthy for our neighboring cities, and should be made known to any student pursuing a higher education,” Rebeca Herrera, herself a recent recipient, said in an email announcing the program. “This scholarship award will not only benefit a student’s life, but we believe that it serves as an encouragement for the students in our community to continue to strive for educational success.
REGIONAL CHAMP — Rebeca Herrera is a customer service rep at the DeLand office of Self-Help Credit Union. She recently won a college scholarship from her employer and is now responsible for spreading the word to other potential recipients.
Herrera, a Crescent City resident, is a bilingual customer service rep who has worked at the Self-Help branch at 1104 S. Woodland Blvd. in DeLand for about two years. She recently received an associate degree at Daytona State College. Now she’s an online student at Florida International University, where she is working toward a bachelor’s degree in public relations, advertising and communications, she told The West Volusia Beacon.
Herrera was chosen from among scholarship recipients at Self-Help’s Florida branches to be the institution’s Regional Champion. In addition to DeLand, the credit union has three offices in Jacksonville and one each in Apopka and River City.
“I am in charge of reaching out to our high schools, college campuses, and/or vocational schools to spread the word of our scholarship opportunity,” Herrera told The Beacon. “We host this scholarship every year for any student who has given back to their community and is pursuing to enhance their education.”
North Carolina-based Self-Help Credit Union was founded in 1984 to provide fair and affordable financial products that help low- to moderate-income families and communities of color build wealth, repair credit and achieve their financial goals.
The credit union’s DeLand branch opened last November at 1104 S. Woodland Blvd., where a number of other businesses have operated over the years. The credit union spent the previous 15 years sharing space in Pierson with the Farmworker Association of Florida.
The scholarship program was established in 2015. Last year, 27 Self-Help CU branches awarded $1,000 scholarships to students striving to make a positive impact on the future.
Scholarship applications and guidelines can be found at Self-Help’s DeLand branch, at any Self-Help CU office or online at self-help.org/scholarships.
Applications must be returned to a local branch or mailed to Self-Help Credit Union, Attn: Kayla Daves, 59 Chestnut St. W. Suite 1, Rosman, NC 28772 by no later than Friday, May 14, 2021. Applications may also be emailed to kayla.daves@self-help.org.
Learn more about Self-Help Credit Union at self-help.org.
