CCSB representatives for the Scholarship Awards, Benny Saiz and Steve Willis, with scholarship recipients Louis Gurrieri and Michelle Swope.
Carol Thompson
Community Church at SaddleBrooke (CCSB) continues its fifth year of the Robert Fries Opportunity Scholarship program for eligible employees of the two SaddleBrooke Homeowner Associations. Out of the ten applicants from both HOAs, our two scholarships go to Louis Gurrieri and Michelle Swope both currently attending Pima College while working as servers in our SaddleBrooke TWO restaurants.
Louis is a sophomore at Pima Community College pursuing a degree in Psychology. He plans to transfer to the University of Arizona and graduate with a master’s degree as a licensed therapist. His manager at the Preserve restaurant says Louis, “has been a very dedicated part of the staff for over three years and is well liked by the residents and the restaurant team.”
Michelle is in the Radiology technology program at Pima Community College. She strives to be a radiation therapist after the required five-years of coursework. She has a very full classroom schedule that also occasionally includes Sundays. Michelle’s restaurant manager says, “Michelle comes to work every day with a smile on her face which radiates throughout the dining room. She is very self-motivated and strives each day to do her best.”
The program is funded by a gift from the Fries Family Trust and administered by CCSB in cooperation with SaddleBrooke One and SaddleBrooke TWO. Association employees with six months of satisfactory service, demonstrated financial need, who are accepted at an accredited institution of higher learning or trade school are eligible to apply.
Robert Fries, a SaddleBrooke resident for 20 years, passed away in 2013. He had a keen interest in the employees here and would be pleased to know that awarding these scholarships is making a difference in the lives of these deserving, hardworking young people.
Community Church at SaddleBrooke is a Christ-centered Church with the mission to glorify God by becoming a community of grace where people will receive, live and share the love of Jesus Christ. Join us at the DesertView Performing Arts Center every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. in SaddleBrooke. All are welcome.