News

$9,250 in Scholarships Awarded!

July 2025

Thanks to the friends and family of Jodi Maroney, a former tutor and an actual superhero, the Jodi Maroney Memorial Scholarship Fund was created in 2020. To date, over $40,000 have been distributed for both scholarships and special opportunities.

It is a privilege to walk with our students through their varying academic journeys. While some non-profit youth organizations strive for all students to attend four-year universities, we take a different approach. We encourage all of our students to pursue their educations beyond high school in whatever format that may be. The barriers continue to grow as our students get older. Parents need help with rising rent and food expenses. Younger siblings need to be cared for by these capable young adults And many of our students arrived in this country in middle and high school and are still working overtime to fully understand all the complexities of the English language, which were not explicitly taught in middle and high school.

Wherever our students find themselves, we are here. Whether it is needing a computer for community college or help with four-year university tuition, we are ready to come alongside them with financial support to make their dreams a reality.

Meet Fabi

Fabi arrived in the US in fourth grade and had to start by learning the alphabet and letter sounds. According to Fabi, “SDRT brought me up to speed with my homework, classwork, and even supplied me with school materials such as backpacks, books, pencils, shoes and clothes.” Fabi will be attending UCSD in the fall with plans to pursue nursing.

"I made friends and built a sense of community with other students who faced similar struggles as I did. I can attribute much of my academic success to SDRT."

-Fabi

Meet Mapenzi

Mapenzi took this past year off to support his family, who moved to Ohio while he was in college. Mapenzi is excited to start his third year at Chico State, with plans to become a Business Entrepreneur. In his words, “To be honest, education isn’t something that I thought one day could become an achievable goal for me and my family. It has given me the power to actually do something I never thought of doing.”

Meet Rahwa

Though Rahwa began attending SDRT in 2nd grade, she still remembers the names of tutors who impacted her. She believes that SDRT played a role in the career path she is pursuing. It helped her realize how support and opportunity can transform lives, which is what she hopes to do with her education. With an overall high school GPA of 4.4, we are excited to see Rahwa’s impact on the world.

"Before SDRT arrived in my life, I often felt invisible in the classroom...Because of SDRT, I quickly picked up English, made lasting friendships, and became one of the top students in my elementary class. This program changed my life."

-Rahwa

Meet Khalid

Khalid looked back on his decade at SDRT and reflected on one particular transformative tutor who came back after his deployment. “His presence reminded me of the strong bonds I had formed at SDRT, where learning was more than just academics, it was about mentorship, support and a sense of family.” Khalid will be attending UC Riverside in the fall and will be majoring in Electrical Engineering.

More Students to Fund

We had more scholarship applications than ever before. Our fund needs to grow! In addition to scholarships, the Jodi Maroney Fund also provides special opportunities for specific students who otherwise would not have them. Recently, it funded a week of music camp for four students and soccer gear for two students who made it onto a club soccer team.

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