Submitted by Saint Martin’s University
Saint Martin’s University has named Nicole Macaluso, Patrick Ross and Sandra Trevino as recipients of its 2018-2019 Trustee Scholarships, among the most significant honors given by the University. Each year, the scholarships are awarded to outstanding transfer students who exemplify the University’s commitment to academic excellence, community service and the Benedictine values that form the bedrock of the Saint Martin’s community.
“These students rose to the top among the most competitive pool of applicants we have seen for the duration of the Trustee Scholarship. Each student comes here with high levels of achievement, determination and compelling life stories. We are delighted to honor these three for their outstanding efforts and are thrilled they are joining the Saints community,” said Caitlin Gordon, senior transfer admissions counselor.
Trustee Scholarships are reserved for students transferring to Saint Martin’s from a community college, and who either have completed or are completing their associate degree with a 3.5 grade point average or higher. Each Trustee Scholar will receive a $26,000 scholarship, which will be divided among four semesters of study.
Macaluso, from Kuna, Idaho, is a biology major from Walla Walla Community College. At Saint Martin’s, she hopes to pursue her studies while being an active member of the women’s soccer team. At Kuna High School she was a four-year varsity soccer player, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and highest honors. After transferring to Walla Walla Community College, she became a National Merit Scholar, made the president’s/vice president’s list, received the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) Academic Excellence award by maintaining a 3.9 GPA and was on the women’s soccer team that recently went undefeated and took first in the NWAC East Region Conference. She recently graduated from Walla Walla Community College with an associate of arts degree and an associate degree in biology. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she plans to apply for nursing or medical school and specialize in pediatrics. In her free time, she enjoys doing community service and helping others, spending time with her family and friends, reading and skiing.
Ross, from Tacoma and originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a civil engineering major from Tacoma Community College. At Saint Martin’s, he hopes to attain his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering. He attended La Cueva High School in Albuquerque and went on to the University of New Mexico, where he took classes for a year. Later, he moved to Washington with his girlfriend, Kyley, and worked as a cable technician before deciding that he wanted to return to school. He recently graduated from Tacoma Community College with an associate of arts degree and an associate of science degree. Ross would like to one day be part of a team that works on bridge design in the Tacoma-Seattle area.
Trevino, from Auburn and originally from Tehuacan, Mexico, is a social work major from Green River College. She attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Auburn and, after graduating, worked in the aerospace industry for a few years. At Green River College, she majored in criminal justice and minored in forensic science. She was accepted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and served as an intern detention officer at the Pierce County Juvenile Detention Center, where she mentored children in need of guidance. Trevino, who is fluent in both English and Spanish, hopes to become a social worker and serve the Latino community. She is a first-generation college student.
Saint Martin’s University is an independent, four-year, coeducational university located on a wooded campus of more than 300 acres in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 13 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 27 majors and ten graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education, nursing and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes more than 1,100 undergraduate students and 340 graduate students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey campus, and 350 more students to its extended campuses located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Centralia College and Tacoma Community College. Visit the Saint Martin’s University website at www.stmartin.edu.
