The LPGA Foundation is excited to announce the five high-school graduates selected to receive the 2023 Chevron Changing the Face of Golf Scholarship, and two additional high-school graduates selected to receive the Chevron Dinah Shore Scholarship. These seven students went above and beyond with their outstanding academic excellence, leadership skills and work in their communities, while also fulfilling specific requirements for each scholarship award.
Chevron offers a new Changing the Face of Golf Scholarship to five (5) female high school seniors of minority background pursuing a full-time, STEM-focused course of study at an accredited college or university in the United States. In addition, the Chevron Dinah Shore Scholarship, which was established in 1994, the year Hollywood personality and original host of The Chevron Championship Dinah Shore was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame as an Honorary Member, is being awarded to two (2) female high school seniors who plan to attend college but not play golf at the collegiate level.
In 2023, Chevron in partnership with the LPGA Foundation will award seven (7) $2,500 scholarships, all renewable over four years, representing $10,000 total for each recipient.
Chevron Changing the Face of Golf Scholarship
Allison Mi is graduating from Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she is Co-Captain of the varsity and junior varsity Women’s Golf Team. She has demonstrated leadership through her roles as Co-Editor in Chief of the school newspaper, President of the HOSA Future Health Professionals, President of the National Honor Society and Principal Harpist of her school’s Symphony Orchestra. Mi also received numerous awards recognizing excellence in her writing, photography and musical abilities.
Mi is an active member in many community organizations: she served as CMO/Lead Lecturer for Inno Education, Marketing Director of The Diversity Store e-magazine, Board Member of the Ann Arbor Student Board and Council Member for the Adolescent Champion Teen Advisory Council for Michigan Medicine.
She plans to attend university in the fall to earn a double major in Biomolecular Sciences and Business and then pursue a career in dentistry offering her services to underserved communities and volunteering her time to pursue her passion of advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging efforts in her hometown.
Julianne Canda is graduating from La Habra High School in Whittier, California, where she is Team Captain for the Varsity Girl’s Golf Team. Outside of golf, Canda has held leadership positions in the Associated Student Body and currently serves as Senior President. She is an active member of the Key Club, National Honor Society, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She has won many school golf tournaments and was awarded Individual Champion along with Medalist of the Year and Most Valuable Golfer. She was also recognized as the Rotary of La Habra Top All-Around Student, Alter Server of the Year, and received the Scholar Athlete Award for four consecutive years.
Canda hopes to continue playing collegiate golf while attending William Jessup University to pursue a degree in Business and incorporate faith into her corporate career.
Lauren Wong is graduating from West Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was a four-time Palo Verde High School Varsity Girls Golf Captain and was recognized as Most Valuable Player in 2019. She has excelled in her golf career and is currently ranked No. 39 in the 2023 Rolex AJGA Rankings Class and No. 130 overall. Wong has earned medalist honors in two AJGA Qualifiers and also won the AJGA GreatLife Junior Challenge and the SNJGA Las Vegas City Amateur, both in 2022.
Outside of golf, Wong is actively involved in local government, representing more than 40,000 students as part of the Nevada Youth Legislature. She helped pass two bills into state law to help fund education and close the learning gap due to the pandemic. She was nominated by her school principal to serve on the Superintendents Advisory Council for two consecutive terms. She is a proven leader after having served as Secretary of the Robotics Club and the Science Olympiad, as a WCTA Student Ambassador, Member of the National Honor Society and Volunteer Coach with PGA Junior League.
Wong has received numerous accolades and scholarships for her academic and athletic achievements. She is not only a 2023 Coca-Cola Scholars Finalist and 2023 AJGA Rolex Scholastic Junior All-American, but Wong has won several awards including the 2022 National AspireIT Impact Award, the 2022 Heisman High School Scholarship and the 2022 United Nations National Merit Award, to name a few. She also served as a Researcher at UNLV Brookings Mountain West and Lincy Institute and explored variables that impact the digital divide and food insecurity among grades K-12 in Nevada.
After founding the nonprofit Nevada Girls in STEM, a female empowerment platform, in 2021, Wong gained a desire to learn more about the intersection of business, science and technology and plans to attend Harvard University to further her education and contribute to innovative solutions to move humanity forward.
Mariella Avanni is graduating from Coronado High School in Coronado, California, where she served as Co-Captain her junior and senior years of the high school varsity golf team who won the Western League Champions for four consecutive years. She has participated in the Navy Junior ROTC program since her sophomore year and served as Co-Assistant Supply Officer and Co-Officer in Charge of the Military Ball Bids Department. She was given the National Society United States Daughter of 1812 National Defense Committee Award her junior year for exhibiting qualities of excellence in leadership, patriotism and academic distinction. Avanni is a three-time member of the National Honor Society and recipient of the Seal of Biliteracy in English and Spanish.
Avanni plans to attend university to pursue a degree in Computation and Cognitive Science and to study Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to analyze and manipulate human proteins for the purpose of developing cures for diseases as well as anti-viral vaccines.
Natalia Avanni is also graduating from Coronado High School in Coronado, California, where she served with her sister, Mariella, as Co-Captain her junior and senior years of the high school varsity golf team who won the Western League Champions four years in a row. She was part of the Navy Junior ROTC program since her sophomore year and served as Co-Assistant Supply Officer and Co-Officer in Charge of the Military Ball Bids Department. Her junior year, she received the National Sojourners Award recognizing her academic achievement and outstanding leadership. Avanni is a three-time member of the National Honor Society and recipient of the Seal of Biliteracy in English and Spanish.
After completing concurrent coursework in sociology, cybersecurity and information systems at Southwestern College, Avanni plans to attend university to pursue a degree in Computation and Cognition with the hopes of finding more effective solutions to global problems like climate change and advancement of new technologies.
Chevron Dinah Shore Scholarship
Aspen Delis is graduating from Summit Academy High School in Sandy, Utah, where she captains the Girls Golf team and has led efforts to keep the program active and thriving. She has served as the school’s President of the Hope Squad for the past two years and is an active member of the Hope Squad National Council, focused on creating a safe school environment that supports anti-bullying and encourages mental wellness. Delis is also School President of SheTech and was appointed as a member of the SheTech Student Board in association with the National Women Tech Council, whose mission is to engage and inspire high school girls into the field of STEM. She has held many leadership positions within her school serving as Editor of the yearbook, Sophomore Class Representative and Vice President of the National Honor Society. She has been recognized with numerous academic and athletic achievements which include 2023 Academic All-State Girls Golf by the Utah High School Activities Association, 2021 Division 3A All-State Golf Team, 2021 Distinguished Student Award by BYU Department of Mathematics and the 2023 Sterling Scholar Computer Science award, to name a few.
Delis plans to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in the field of Computer Science with a focus on environmental conservation. Her career aspiration is to join an organization that values sustainability and finds solutions to global environmental problems that would be impactful to all.
Lauren Jarvise is graduating from Seton Catholic Preparatory in Chandler, Arizona, where she has captained her golf team for the last three years, served as an eLeader with LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Phoenix, which she was recognized with an Empower Award in 2019, and is a three-year participant with the Junior Golf Association of Arizona.
Jarvise has been involved in leadership positions within student government for the past two years. She is a National Honor Society Tutor in Math and is an active member of various social clubs at school. She has been a member of the Girls Scouts Cactus Pine Council Phoenix since kindergarten and is working to earn her gold award.
She plans to attend Arizona State University in the fall to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering with the hopes of one day working in Aerospace with rockets and space exploration.
About the LPGA Foundation
The LPGA is committed to being the global leader in women’s golf and to use our unique platform to empower, inspire and advance opportunities for girls and women, on and off the golf course.
Our commitment to Changing the Face of Golf focuses on making the sport we love more diverse, accessible, and inclusive. As the philanthropic arm of the LPGA, the LPGA Foundation achieves its vision through the programs of LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, LPGA Leadership Academies, and providing Grants & Scholarships to those in financial need. The Foundation also includes the LPGA Amateur Golf Association, the recreational arm of the LPGA serving 15,500 members worldwide.
Our programs advance equality by removing barriers to sports participation, ensuring that every girl and woman who want to play has a welcoming and positive experience while taking advantage of the benefits of golf.
Leave A Comment