Skip To Main Content

Two MHS seniors receive OSU Presidential Scholarship

Two young women are holding up boxes with what appear to be awards or certificates, standing in front of a colorful, patriotic-themed background.
The image shows a group of people, likely students, gathered in what appears to be a school or educational setting, with various computer equipment and displays visible in the background.
The image shows a woman in a blue plaid shirt standing in a hallway, with a poster and other items visible in the background.
A young woman stands in front of a large blue and red logo on a wall, holding a stack of books.
A young woman stands in front of a large blue and red mascot logo on the wall, holding a laptop computer.
Two young women are standing in front of a large blue and red mascot logo on a wall.
Two women, one holding a certificate, stand in front of a colorful, abstract mural on a blue background.
Three individuals, two women and one man, stand in front of a colorful, patriotic-themed mural backdrop.

Two outstanding seniors from Madras High School, Maya Garcia Mata and Miriam Egoavil, were surprised Thursday afternoon with one of the most prestigious scholarships offered by Oregon State University.

Oregon State University visited Madras High School on Thursday to present the OSU Presidential Scholarship to both students during their band class. This was a surprise announcement. Initially, the OSU rep went into the classroom pretending he was there to give a general info session about possible scholarships. In reality, both Maya’s and Miriam’s family were in the hallway eagerly waiting for the announcement!

The Presidential Scholarship is OSU’s most prestigious and competitive scholarship. Students are evaluated based on a broad review of their application. The university pays specific attention to their accomplishments, contributions, experiences, their participation in activities that demonstrate their academic potential, leadership abilities, and commitment to service, and much more. Presidential Scholarship recipients also receive additional perks to improve their first year on campus. Those include an exemption from paying advanced tuition deposit and no housing contract signing fee.

This is also the first year OSU is allowing incoming freshman to stack the Presidential Scholarship with the Finley Academic Excellence Scholarship. This means both students could earn up to $15,000 annually for four years.

The Presidential Scholarship alone provides up to $10,000 annually and is renewable for up to three additional years, for a total of four years of funding.

Garcia Mata plans to study environmental science while Egoavil plans to study biotechnology and music. Both students are considering their choices for college next year.

Only 145 students out of a possible 3,000 met the criteria and received the Presidential Scholarship this year, and two of them are graduating from MHS in June!