Two CPSD students earn Act Six scholarships

Two CPSD students earn full-tuition Act Six scholarships
Posted on 03/20/2020
Christian Aguilar and Hanzel Chicas

Lakes High School senior Christian Aguilar spent a recent Wednesday waiting to hear back about the Act Six scholarship he applied for earlier this year. He had a plan to celebrate if he heard good news and a plan to console himself if he didn’t.

Both involved ice cream. “I was going to have happy ice cream if I received the scholarship and sad ice cream if I didn’t,” he said.

At about 3 p.m. that day, Aguilar received an email explaining that he received a full-tuition, full-need Act Six scholarship to Whitworth University in Spokane. Happy ice cream was on the menu.

Aguilar and Harrison Preparatory School senior Hanzel Chicas were among 29 students in the Puget Sound region selected as new Act Six scholars. According to Act Six, students were selected through a rigorous three-month competition among more than 1,000 applicants.

Chicas will be attending Pacific Lutheran University. He said finding out he earned the scholarship was a life-changing moment.

“I was scared, nervous and excited waiting to hear if I had received the scholarship,” Chicas said. “I want to be able to lift myself up and become a successful person. This scholarship is such an amazing opportunity for me.”

Act Six is a leadership and scholarship program that develops urban and community leaders to be agents of transformation on campus and in their home communities.