FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Orange, CA) –Santiago Canyon College (SCC) alumna Florencia Bravoreceived her Associate's degree last Spring of 2021. This month,she is celebrating the announcement of her selection as a Mellon Mays UndergraduateFellowship recipient. 

            The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program is an initiative designed to increase diversity in the faculty ranks ofinstitutions of higher learning.  According to a statement on the Mellon Foundation's website, fellows of the program are encouraged to pursue doctorate programs supporting professional careers in the humanities and selected social sciences. To date, over 190 former fellows are now in tenure/tenure-track positions, and over 1,000 have earned a Ph.D.

            “Only five new fellows are selected each year and I am very honored to have been one of the lucky recipients," said Bravo who will receive mentorship and financial support as she is prepared for entry into Ph.D. programs. “My career goal is to become a professor and published author. As a Mellon Mays scholar and SCC alumna, I am grateful for all the opportunities that have been afforded to me."
            Bravo attended Garden Grove High School and enrolled at SCC before transferring to California State University Dominguez Hill in the Fall of 2021. She is working toward her bachelor's degree in English Literature and minoring in Creative Writing. 
            “All my professors at SCC helped me become a better student and writer. Participating in the writingcontests and receiving a scholarship from the English department further encouraged me and made mehopeful for my future in academia," said Bravo. “Dr. Lisa Dela Cusack especially inspired me to continue in my pursuit of higher education to represent a voice as a Latina woman that is often missing in universities today."

            English Professor Lisa Dela Cusack was ecstatic when hearing the news about her former student. “Florencia puts a lot of care into all she does and it shows in her academic work and classroom discussions. She is going to be an excellent English professor and I am so glad she chose to attend SCC."
            

            ​Eligibility for a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship requires the student to be enrolled in one of the Foundation's member institutions.  To view the list of the member institutions, visit https://www.mmuf.org/about/member-institutions.
For more information about Santiago Canyon College's English department, call (714) 628-5030.

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