Right C3 is proud to announce that Kimberly Cortes is our winner for the Tanya Madison Morrison Essay Scholarship Contest! She was awarded $1,500 to help her with her college expenses as she attends UC Berkeley this fall, where she plans to study social sciences and eventually become a lawyer.
The contest was in honor of Tanya Madison Morrison, one of our enrollment counselors. She was well known, loved and admired by the members of our company. Her willingness to serve our families with kindness deeply impacted those who found themselves in her presence. Her ability to share her talent with fellow team members continues to lead so many to excel. Tanya lost her battle with cancer, but in the midst of her battle, she filled us with a rare positivity, hope and faith that will remain her gift to so many of us.
In honor of Tanya, we asked students to submit an essay giving an example of a time they mentored, inspired, or otherwise encouraged someone to reach a goal, pursue a dream, or push through a difficult time.
Out of hundreds of essay submissions, Kimberly’s essay proved to be both well-written and inspirational. For the past 5 years, Kimberly has been traveling across the U.S.-Mexican border every day after school to teach impoverished children how to play music. As Kimberly puts it, “Mexicali is a degrading place due to the fact that there is a lot of crime, homelessness, and kids as young as three years old begging for their daily bread and selling gum in the streets instead of being in school getting an education.” What started as simply performing for children in hospitals and orphanages developed into a street-side mentorship of young children who’d otherwise have little hope for the future. In the past few years, her efforts have been recognized by the city governor. Her students have even gone on to play at the local Culture House, where they’ve been able to earn scholarships for their dedication.
“I look back and realize that all the time I spent teaching, rehearsing, and encouraging these kids has really been worth it. From countless practices, to endless evenings, I have noticed how one individual can make an impact in the lives of others.”
Kimberly’s heart for those in need stems from her family. Coming from a family of immigrants, she is grateful for the privileges of which she’s been able to take advantage. She credits a lot of her success to her grandparents, who first moved their family to the U.S. Both of her parents are lawyers, and she plans on following in their footsteps. “As a lawyer, instead of a weapon, you get to use your mind to fight injustice.” She grew up watching her family help those in need through immigration issues. Her father is a public defender in Mexico, so she’s seen the effects of poverty first-hand. In college, she plans to focus her studies on human and civil rights issues, but that doesn’t mean Kimberley is giving up on music. She plans to continue her volunteer work and earn a music minor in college. She dreams of opening a non-profit where she can continue to teach music to low-income students.
Kimberly really appreciated the services provided by RightC3 to make her colleges dreams a reality. “From calling coaches at night to the online tutoring, you guys were always there.” She hopes that her story can inspire other aspiring college students. Her advice is to “do your passion, and don’t get discouraged if it is not trendy. If you have a passion, then you can make a change.”
