Annual Scholarship Info

The Villages Tennis Club Scholarship

2024 marks our 20th Anniversary, reports Wendy Ferguson, who says that so far, 50 Silver Creek High School students have won scholarships. She started the scholarship way back in 2004—before this year’s recipients were even born. Wanting to give back to the community and loving tennis were her primary reasons for establishing the Scholarship. It’s hard work but the rewards far outnumber any drawbacks remarks Ferguson.  And inviting the Silver Creek HS tennis players here to play our folks is a plus—the boys in the spring and the girls in the fall. Then there’s the Scholarship Tournament and Dinner in the spring. Our Scholarship Committee promises a sensational celebration this year to commemorate 20 years.

2023 Scholarship Post Event Report

The Scholarship Tournament was held last weekend, and 40+ hot-shots and not-so-hot-shots really enjoyed the round-robin format. Getting to play with different partners was indeed a highlight. Scores evened out due to the handicap scoring method. Court-side food was delicious as always thanks to Andrea Alvarez and Marianne Wojcik. Tennis players sure do enjoy their food and socializing with one another.
Meanwhile, speaking of socializing, if you didn’t go to the Scholarship Dinner last Saturday, we missed you. The folks attending had a rollicking good time. Our much anticipated catered dinner was embellished by Adele Ratcliff, Betty Olsen, and Suzi Hathaway. The meal, as anticipated, was outstanding, and even the Scholarship winners were seen going back for seconds. Jim Ferguson, tournament master, tallied the winners of the tournament held that morning, and drew names for gift certificates to the Clubhouse. On hand were the student scholarship winners from Silver Creek High School, who told of their tennis accolades and their aspirations and goals for the coming years. You can read their essays on the Tennis Club web site under the heading: Programs, Annual Scholarship. Each winner will receive $4,000 toward their college educations. Nice, eh? Stay tuned, because next week we’ll have a photo of the winners.
Avid about the scholarships, did I ever tell you I wrote to many a famous tennis star including John McEnroe, given his wonderful sense of humor, and Rafa Nadal, given his talents in the kitchen, and asked for donations from their wealthy coffers? Here is a portion of my letter begging for dough.
“I know that you are an avid tennis fan, and that you may even play a decent game. Me, too! Tennis has taught me a lot, and I am a fan of the game. Perhaps one day we can play, and I may even beat you—that is, if you put a cookie sheet in your non-dominate had, don a blindfold, and tie your legs together while you’re playing against me …. Why one earth am I writing to you, you ask? Well, actually, I am hoping for a huge donation from you (please don’t stop reading this). Here’s why….
More history for you. I live in East San Jose, CA, and the kids go to Silver Creek High School. You can read all about our efforts in the Evergreen Times (a TimesMedia rag), and in The Villager (our community’s tiny & weekly rag). Or, I can send you clippings. Your choice. Just let me know, when you mail your check made out to: “Villages Tennis Club Scholarship.”
You want to know how many responses I received? Zero. Oh well, I tried.
Finally, speaking of trying, the Silver Creek High School tennis team came last Wednesday to play our men. Sometimes our helpful hackers even tutored the kids on the fine are of the overhead smash. All participants noshed on refreshments after the matches. The Tennis Scholarship Committee thanks all those who contributed to the Scholarships this year.

2022 Scholarship News and Winners

2022 marks the 18th year of The Villages Tennis Scholarship. Our fundraising for our 2022 Scholarship awards was completed at the Tennis Clubs Annual Scholarship Auction and Drawing at the Foothill center. Here’s how that went:
The Winners are:

Lauren Vo, Meghana Damojipurapu, Alice Zhang, Andrew Nguyen

Their Essays can be found HERE.

Each of the scholarship recipients received $4000. That might explain the super big smiles.

Here is where we stand with this year’s Scholarship fund raising:

Scholarship funding — April 23, 2022Donations.      $.  520Auction.           $3300Wine Locker.  $1620Dinner.             $571.99 (after expenses)Tournament.  $585 Total.               $6596.99

2021 Scholarship News and Winners

2021 marks the 17th year of The Villages Tennis Scholarship. Our fundraising for our 2021 Scholarship awards was completed with an online Super Silent Auction. Here’s how that went:

Auction Items and Winners

Your generous donations provided three $4,000 scholarships. Here’s an update on the winners of the Tennis Club Scholarships and the award presentation.
Seniors from Silver Creek High School applied by writing an essay to explain the skills/traits they learned while playing tennis that will assist them and/or enhance their future. Other requirements included a 3.0 GPA and two years on the tennis team. This year, there were three winners.
The following excerpts are from their essays.
The M.A. Sridhar Scholarship.
Raj Sheth has a 4.52 GPA and plans to major in biology at UCLA. After being “bageled” in his first match, Raj gradually developed a “let’s do it” attitude. With time, he learned he could “take the solo Bassoon part, express my opinion during debates, or even learn something outside my comfort zone.” Raj wrote that as he played tournaments at Silver Creek he gained more confidence in his game and learned that he can approach any problem with passion and resolution. Confidence allowed him to “intuitively embrace risk in the face of opportunity. I determined that to grow as a person, athlete, and student, I need to adopt this ‘Let’s do it!’ attitude.”
The Tennis Club Scholarship in Honor and Memory of Bob Peters.
Benny Le has a GPA of 3.8 and plans to study Computer Science at San Jose State University. In his essay, Benny writes “I learned how to think like a tennis player… and that I should be playing to have fun. I might compare coding and tennis in the way where it basically makes me want to pull my own hair out. However, I don’t have to throw my laptop or tennis racket into the ground. I only need to step back, play around a bit, and then see what went wrong. It’s as simple as that.”
The Tennis Club Scholarship in Honor of Dee Ramirez of Ramirez Realty.
Juliana Abuan has a 3.78 GPA and plans to major in psychology at UC Davis. When she first began to play tennis, she thought the only person she could rely on was herself. She writes, “To ask for help and depend on someone else was a weakness.” Juliana learned “to rely on other people… so you can support them. They rely on you as much as you rely on them. Being a leader means working together with everyone. And I’m truly glad that tennis has helped me realize that. This kind of mindset is really, really important for the real world, and I’m thankful that I learned to accept it before I go off to college.”
For Full Transcript of Essays, Click Here
The three scholarships are in honor and memory of M. A. Sridhar, Bob Peters, and in honor of Dee Ramirez and the folks at Ramirez Realty. We congratulate our three winners and wish them success in their endeavors.
Here’s Raj, Julianna, and Benny
and here’s Raj, Benny and Julianna
…and here’s Wendy delivering the Scholarship checks…
To watch the Honors Night presentation by Wendy Ferguson, Scholarship co-chair, go to  https://youtu.be/-PZ-yLHzXSU

If you have any questions please contact Co-Chairs, Wendy Ferguson at  LGPGAT@aol.com or Phyllis Seeger at phyllisseeger@gmail.com

 

For prior year’s Scholarship News and winners…

 

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2020 Scholarship News and Winners

We awarded four $3,000 scholarships to Dustin Bui, Camilie Huynh, Audrey Nguyen and Kristin Nguyen.

2020 marks the 16th year of The Villages Tennis Scholarship. The Tennis Club awards annual scholarships to Silver Creek High School tennis players. Funding for the scholarship comes from the proceeds of the April Scholarship tournament, fundraising efforts, and donations from individuals. It’s a good way to support young tennis players in our community, according to scholarship committee members. Since its inception in 2004, $84,000 has been awarded to 39 students. The scholarships are for senior players at Silver Creek High School with two or more years on the tennis team and a GPA of 3.0 and above. The applicant must plan to attend a post-secondary educational institution. Applicants apply, write an essay, and the school’s tennis coaches, athletic directors, and counselors select the recipients. The funds are deposited in the school’s Associated Student Body account, and the school distributes the scholarships. Funds are to be used for tuition, fees and books. In the past, the scholarships have helped students who attend San Francisco State, UC San Diego, San Jose State, UC Berkeley, and community colleges. Silver Creek was selected because of its proximity to the Villages, diversity of students, and Villager interest in the school. Historically, Villager tennis players have supported the tennis teams at Silver Creek supplying racquets, balls for practice, and support during matches. The Villages Tennis Club has also donated nets and windscreens to the school. After the tennis season is over, the teams come to The Villages and have round-robin matches against and with resident tennis players, and then enjoy refreshments after the matches. We meet prospective scholarship recipients, and even sometimes beat the youngsters on the courts, reports Wendy Ferguson, Scholarship co-chair. It’s a much-anticipated social event for the Villagers.

2019 Scholarship News and Winners

2019 marks the 15th year of The Villages Tennis Scholarship.

The Villages Tennis Club Scholarships, totaling $12,000, have been awarded to four outstanding Silver Creek High School students. The proud students and their parents were honored at the Villages Tennis Club Scholarship fundraiser dinner and silent auction.
Each student described their outstanding goals and ambitions to the enthusiastic Villages Tennis Club supporters. Chloe Nguyen will attend University of California, Berkeley to study human and plant anatomy. Trisha Nguyen is looking forward to attending Santa Clara University with a major in computer engineering. Rishi Armstrong’s goal is business economics and hopes to attend Duke University. Jason Diaz may attend San Jose State University to study computer science. The students are looking forward to interesting and challenging experiences at their colleges and universities.
Wendy Ferguson, the Scholarship Committee chairperson since 2004, and the committee, have awarded $72,000 of scholarships to Silver Creek High School students. Wendy’s vision, dedication and leadership, along with significant roles of Jim Ferguson, grill master, and Suzie Hathaway, dinner chef, and each hard working committee member have empowered the scholarship success. The Villages Tennis Scholarship Committee members are committed to providing scholarships to deserving students at Silver Creek High School. The generosity of the local business and professional members and individuals is significant and greatly appreciated. The Villages Tennis Club Scholarship Committee thanks everyone who contributes to the fund.

$3,000 each and $12,000 total awarded to these four Silver Creek HS seniors:

Rishi Armstrong
Jason Diaz
Chloe Nguyen
Trisha Nguyen

Click here to read their essays

Duel of the Ages: Silver Creek HS vs. The Villages

The Silver Creek High School girl’s tennis team played the wonder women of The Villages in their annual round-robin match. You can spot the Silver Creek players in the appropriate Halloween-themed orange outfits—and by their young faces. Naturally, maturity won outright. In its 15th year, the Villages Tennis Scholarship will be awarded to one of the senior girls upon graduation. “This get-together is so much fun,” reports Wendy Ferguson, scholarship chair, “and the generations mix so easily. The Tennis Club awards annual scholarships to Silver Creek High School senior tennis players. Funding for the scholarship comes from the proceeds of the May Scholarship tournament, fundraising efforts, and donations from individuals and businesses. It’s a good way to support young tennis players in our community, according to scholarship committee members. When the awards first started in 2004, two scholarships of $500 were given. The amount has grown since then and four scholarships of $3,000 were awarded in 2018. Since its inception in 2004, $60,000 has helped 29 students in their college endeavors.
The scholarships are for senior players at Silver Creek High School with two or more years on the tennis team and a GPA of 3.0 and above. The applicant must plan to attend a post-secondary educational institution. Applicants apply, write an essay, and the school’s tennis coaches, athletic directors, and counselors select the recipients.
The funds are deposited in the school’s Associated Student Body account, and the ASB distributes the scholarship after the post-secondary institutions contact the school. Funds are to be used for tuition and fees.
In the past, the scholarships have helped students who attend U.C. San Diego, Harvard, West Valley and Evergreen colleges, San Jose State, and U.C. Berkeley.
Silver Creek was selected because of its proximity to the Villages, diversity of students, and Villager interest in the school. Historically, Villager tennis players have supported the tennis teams at Silver Creek supplying racquets, balls for practice, and support during matches.
After the tennis season is over, the teams come to The Villages and have round-robin matches against and with resident tennis players, and then enjoy refreshments after the matches. We meet prospective scholarship recipients, and even sometimes beat the youngsters on the courts, reports Wendy Ferguson, Scholarship Chair. It’s a much anticipated social event for the Villagers.