Harmony Magnet Academy senior Isabel Aguilar has received the Smittcamp Scholarship, and will attend Fresno State in the fall.
Aguilar has attended Harmony Magnet Academy since her freshman year of high school and has been an active student for all of her four years. Aguilar was ecstatic to find out this past month she had received the prestigious Smittcamp Scholarship.
The Smittcamp Scholarship is a full ride scholarship to Fresno State University. Aguilar shared how it is one of the most unique programs here on the West Coast since students attend the Smittcamp Family Honors College at Fresno State. This scholarship will cover her tuition and housing, as long as she keeps a 3.5 GPA.
Aguilar applied to this scholarship back in December of 2024. Aguilar explained how during the application process she had to write multiple essays. To even apply for this scholarship, the graduating senior must have a minimum of a 3.8 high school GPA or rank in the top 10 percent of their graduating high school class.
Aguilar had to wait five months to find out if she had been awarded the scholarship. During this time, she mentioned how she had previously committed to UC Davis. Once finding out she had received the Smittcamp Scholarship, she ultimately decided to attend Fresno State, deciding it would be the best decision for her future.
Aguilar mentioned how once she looked into what the program entailed it was a 'no-brainer' she would attend Fresno State. “So not only was it because of the scholarship, but the strength of the program as well,” stated Aguilar.
She shared how within the program, she will get priority access to registration for classes. Aguilar plans on majoring in Mechanical Engineering and with the priority access, it will definitely be a big help. Also within the program, students receive exclusive access to certain internships during their time there.
“It is a combination of things that make this program super unique because you get priority in sort of everything Fresno State has to offer,” stated Aguilar.
When talking to Aguilar about what she would like her future to look like after college, she shared how she would love to work for NASA one day. It's her dream to work in the aerospace industry, and she's looking forward to soon applying for NASA internships.
When asked if she thinks this scholarship is a step into the right direction when it comes to her future, Aguilar stated she definitely believes it is. “It is such a relief having this scholarship, especially knowing that I won’t have to pay for college,” stated Aguilar.
Aguilar shared she got to this point in her education through her hard work ethic, mentioning how she will set herself little goals to meet them. She also stated “if something doesn’t go your way, there is always another way.”