Roxana M. Rhodes
Open Letter to Scholarship Applicants
November 7, 2024
Hello to the English scholarship student,
I wish you the best luck as you continue your education at American River College. I wanted to share this story about my most influential teacher at A.R.C. and donated a scholarship for a student who is minoring or majoring in English.
I attended this college from 1970-72, graduating with an AA in general education. One of my college English teachers, Marjorie McClain, was an inspiration to me in her leadership with sweet memories discussing life’s issues at her office. I was honored to play guitar music at her later wedding.
Ms. McClain taught several English classes, including a Folklore class with the purpose of us using our ancestry’s literature to make a class presentation. I chose Irish ballads. Ms. McClain was our faculty leader of our Folklore Club. We met in the cafeteria to organize a festival at a local park which included, music, poetry, ethnic food, dance, and speakers. The Folklore Club met to plan dinner parties with other student clubs off campus.
One notable student, Mickie, was a member of the Chicano Club and the Student Organization. Ms. Mickie Chavez, was a cousin to Caesar Chavez. Mickie was also active in community work for the farmers and asked all of us to stop buying grapes and lettuce at a brand-named grocery store. We watched news reports of Mr. Chavez organizing peaceful protests to obtain more pay and benefits to the farm workers who supplied produce to the stores.
I think language is an important tool in a person’s future goals of continuing education and chosen career. For this scholarship, I have included a dedication page in memory of my step-daughter who died at age of 32 in 2015.
Best Wishes to you in all your endeavors.
Roxana M. Rhodes, LMFT
Chapman University, 2010-2014
Brandman Campus, Roseville, CA
The Sarah Rhodes Priess Memorial Scholarship Fund
(1982-2015)
Sarah Gwen will be remembered for her fun loving spirit, her beauty, her intelligence, her talents, and her love of family and friends. Many people who loved her mourned her sudden death. Sarah was born in 1982 in Sacramento County. She attended schools in the area with a high grade point average. Soon after, Sarah was married in the same county. She and her husband were busy working and raising their four children. Sarah attended nursing school and worked as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at a local hospital. Her death as a victim of a crime in 2015 was a tragedy to her husband, her children, her immediate family, many relatives, and friends. May her soul rest in peace is our prayer for Sarah.