Norwalk student chosen for SCAG scholarship
Inside the Free Speech Movement Cafe at UC Berkeley, the oldest and original college forming the University of California system, photographed May 4, 2024 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Jay L. Clendenin/Getty Images)
NORWALK — Norwalk resident Serena Tarango has been named one of three Los Angeles County recipients of the Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) 2025 scholarship, awarded to students pursuing careers in urban planning and public policy.
Tarango is among 10 students from across Southern California selected for the prestigious scholarship, which provides $4,000 in financial support. The program, now in its 15th year, recognizes high school and community college students who demonstrate a commitment to shaping communities through thoughtful planning and policymaking.
Tarango graduates next month from Santa Fe High School and plans to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where she will major in political science. In her application essay, she expressed a desire to improve social and political systems through informed action.
“Through careful action, I will work to improve the social and political environment of countless people throughout the world,” she wrote. “This will not only help to improve the lives that are changed, but also creates a setting where the impacted people are better able to carry out their own positive change.”
Joining Tarango as L.A. County recipients are Elisa Hong of Northridge and Tyler Wu of Walnut. Hong, a senior at North Hollywood High School, plans to attend Pomona College and major in political science, while Wu, from Walnut High School, will pursue civil engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The scholarship recipients were selected through a competitive application process that included a written essay, academic transcripts, and letters of recommendation. This year’s scholarship committee included Downey City Councilmember Claudia M. Frometa, along with other SCAG Regional Council members and education leaders.
“We’re honored to have the opportunity to help these students in the next stage of their academic journeys,” said David J. Shapiro, chair of the SCAG Scholarship Committee. “They are remarkable young adults and future leaders for our region.”