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::HISTORY OF THE SCHOLARSHIP::
The Julio J. Gonzalez Memorial Scholarship Fund was created as a tribute and memorial to honor Julio J. Gonzalez after his unfortunate and untimely death in February, 2008. Monetary donations were sent to the Gonzalez family, and it was then that the idea for the fund was born.
Julio was a third generation valley resident and alumnus of San Simon High School. During his time there, Julio participated in and excelled at many activities. He was a member of the Student Council, the National FFA Organization, and was a class officer. Julio was also an accomplished athlete, and competed on both the basketball and track teams. Of his many achievements, he was most proud of the three years he won the Arizona 1A State Pole Vaulting title. His grades were average, but he always maintained that he wanted to attend a technical school to study computer technology. Julio followed up on his goals, and earned an associate degree in Computer Networking Administration at Collins College in Tempe. Because his grades were not outstanding, Julio relied on student loans to help with his educational costs.
The Gonzalez family would like to help students like Julio, students who have aspirations but maybe not the best grades, to reach their goals as well. Many times, students with the highest GPA during their senior year are awarded the bulk of scholarship monies, particularly at small schools. It is our hope that this scholarship will provide extra motivation for seniors to seek a higher education. We would like to keep this scholarship exclusive to the San Simon area for the betterment of our community and also to remember where Julio lived, worked and played for the majority of his life.
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