In 1993 the first Viva Quad Cities Fiesta took place along Moline’s river drive at the John Deere Tech Center thanks a vision of an event for the area’s growing Hispanic community that highlighted music, dance and fashion from all of Latin America while providing scholarships to area Hispanic students. Initially winning the scholarship consisted of writing an essay that described “What it neans to be Hispanic” with the first place prize going to Paola Morales. Since then Viva has given scholarships to about 350 students so far and including this year will be close to reaching the $200,000 mark in monies awarded. Today the scholarship is open to students of all backgrounds and this year 20 area students will be presented with scholarships during its 15th annual fiesta which this year will be held at the Bass Street Landing, between 17th Street and River Drive, in Downtown Moline on Friday, Sept. 5 and Saturday, Sept. 6.
The selecting the 20 recipients is a painstaking process that favors those with the higher GPA’s, economic needs, more community involvement, but also considers the situation of the students such as if they have children and full time employment among other factors.
“We want to give scholarships to all students who turn in applications. Because all the students have many good qualities and all are interested in becoming someone important in the future,” Viva Scholarship Committee Chair and Augustana College Spanish professor Monica Banks-Gunzenhauser said. “It is very hard to decide.”
Monica has been part of Viva Quad Cities’ Scholarship Committee for two years and says that currently anywhere from 70 to 80 students apply for the scholarship each year and that about 90 percent of the applicants are of Hispanic descent and the percentage of Hispanic scholarship winners is about the same. Royal Neighbors of America and Eye Surgeons Associates each contribute a large scholarship of their own.
This year Viva Quad Cities will be giving out one scholarship in honor of Cristina Greene, a former Scholarship Committee member and Black Hawk College Counselor who passed away this New Years Day. Cristina Greene went above and beyond her duties in helping students and their families have access to higher education and did so in a kind and selfless manner. Currently this scholarship seeks out an individual with similar characteristics. While the dollar amount is the same, being recognized with this scholarship will have to be well earned.
“It is a scholarship that is very significant due to all the work she did. Not only with Viva, but at the Quad City level and at Black Hawk (College),” Monica said. “And we want that the student who receives this scholarship to be a student that has similar qualities to the ones she had.”
Monica, along with Zobeida Laughenberg – who was a personal friend of Cristina Greene and has been part of the scholarship committee since the beginning – and five other committee members will make the final decision as to which of the 20 win these particular scholarships.
While those who apply might not make the cut one year Monica says that they should not be discouraged because they can always apply the next year and be selected. She also encourages the community to contribute in the form of attending Viva Quad Cities Fiesta since the money they spend at the festival goes towards scholarships for the next year’s recipients.
For more information on the scholarship or to apply for next year’s scholarship contact Monica at [email protected].
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