Rosie Lopez, an educator and community advocacy leader, will be honored with the establishment of the Rosie Lopez Student Advocate Scholarship.

The Arizona Association of Chicanos in Higher Education created the scholarship to honor Lopez during the 20th anniversary of the Arizona Hispanic Community Forum, a volunteer-based advocacy group she formed in 1987. Thus far, more than $3,000 has been raised for the scholarship fund.

Lopez said she was honored and surprised to have the scholarship named after her.

“I said I can only accept this if we have a student advocate,” said Lopez, adding the goal is to “bring young people into the forum and to train them in community advocacy.”

Because the focus is on advocacy, students receiving the scholarship must make a commitment to join the AHCF and work on a specific advocacy project assigned by an AHCF executive board member for at least one year. Eligible students must have a 2.5 GPA or higher and be enrolled in a college or in high school and eligible to enter college.

A selection committee, including Lopez, will focus on community service and the desire to join advocacy programs when choosing scholarship recipients. Scholarship money will be presented at the Nov. 17th AACHE conference.

Donations to the scholarship fund may be mailed to AACHE, c/o Cleopatria Martinez, 1202 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ 85013.

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