The Sagrillo Group at RE/MAX of Boulder (Left to Right): Cameo Martine-Stern, Dustin Sagrillo, Lauryl Danuff Sagrillo
BOULDER – Graduating Boulder County high school seniors just got a chance for help with the cost of their college education. The Sagrillo Group with RE/MAX of Boulder recently announced The Sagrillo Group Scholarship Fund, a merit-based scholarship fund for a Boulder County high school senior pursuing a two-year, four-year, vocational or technical school for the entire academic year starting in Fall of 2022.
Applicants are asked to submit a 500-word essay on “What does home or the idea of home mean to you?” The essay topic is in keeping with the philosophy of The Sagrillo Group: Love where you live and enjoy the process of getting there.
“I have been thinking about putting together a scholarship fund for many years. Now that my wife – and business partner – and I have one child in college and two others approaching their college years, I see just how important it is for students to have access to local scholarship funds,” said Dustin Sagrillo, broker associate and Colorado native.
Whether home is a place or a feeling, The Sagrillo Group wants to hear from students in the Boulder County community about what home means to them.
“In keeping with our team’s values, we based the scholarship on our strong connection to ‘home’ or our ideals of home since it’s where all our stories begin,” he said. “Writing about home, no matter the experience, is something we can all relate to and hopefully it will be easy and joyful to write about.”
All graduating seniors in Boulder County with plans to continue their education full-time starting in Fall 2022 are encouraged to apply. The scholarship can be used toward tuition, books, fees and room and board.
“My motivation for offering a scholarship comes from my own experience with my college-age daughter, who is now a sophomore,” said Cameo Martine-Stern, broker associate and former professional ballerina with New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Cleveland Ballet. “I watched her struggle through essay after essay, winning some scholarships and losing some. Ultimately it was two local scholarships that made it possible for her to pay for the honors college and a portion of her tuition for freshman year,” she added.
The cost of college has continued to rise each year. Today the average price of tuition and fees comes to $38,070 at private colleges. Public college tuition and fees averages $10,740 for in-state residents and $27,560 for out-of-state students, according to the 2021 data from College Board Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid. Room and board costs are additional and average $13,620 at private colleges and $11,950 at public schools for 2021.
As parents of college-age children, The Sagrillo Group has first-hand experience with how complex the college enrollment process can be, financially and practically.
“Scholarships can make a huge difference, open a door that may not have been opened and bring on opportunities that would not have presented themselves otherwise” noted Martine-Stern. “Scholarship assistance has a snowball effect.”
The Sagrillo Group hopes that over time their annual scholarship fund will grow and that other community partners will donate so they will be able to help several students at a time. The goal is in keeping with their commitment to giving back to their community.
This year’s scholarship is for $1,000. Applications include the 500-word essay, a high school transcript, any unusual circumstances relating to financial need, a letter of recommendation, a summary of activities and accomplishments and any additional information relevant to the scholarship.
Full details are available at www.thesagrillogroup.com.
Application deadline is March 15, 2022 with the completed application submitted to [email protected]. All high-school seniors – regardless of ethnicity, gender or socioeconomic position – are encouraged to apply.
For more information on The Sagrillo Group Scholarship Fund, visit www.thesagrillogroup.com.
