NOT FOUND: scholarship.jpgThe stress was unbelievable and time was running out. But Michael Souza knew he had to make one more phone call if he was going to get what he desperately needed. He couldn’t bear to think about what would happen if no one listened. If, once again, someone on the other end of the line just gave him their company line. Souza had two days—yes, two days—to come up with several thousand dollars he needed to attend the University of California, Berkeley. He was scheduled to arrive on campus August 22.
He wasn’t having much luck getting a loan. So, the 18-year-old Highlands Academy of Arts & Design (HAAD) graduate decided to make one more call, based on a conversation the president of SAFE Credit Union had with members of Souza’s high school academic decathlon team. SAFE is a sponsor of the HAAD and Rio Linda High teams. Henry Wirz told students to call if they ever needed help with anything. Souza took his words to heart. “I told them I met their president and told them what Mr. Wirz said. I also told them I could definitely use some help getting a loan for college. I had some money, but not enough,” says Souza.
Imagine Souza’s surprise when he ended up with a $6,000 SAFE Credit Union scholarship? He got the check on August 21 and was at UC Berkeley the next day. “When they called my home to tell us, I started running around the house,” says an ecstatic Souza. “I was really surprised and completely caught off guard. I started thanking them like crazy. This was a very last minute thing; a dream come true. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened without the SAFE scholarship. They are the nicest people, so friendly. Great people!”
SAFE officials say it’s unusual for the credit union to award last-minute scholarships to anyone. Students who normally apply, go through a judging process. But Souza was in a bind and Wirz was impressed with the determined teenager and all he accomplished at HAAD. “I felt good about doing it this way because of the reason Michael called us,” says Wirz. “He heard me say we would try to do our best to help. Michael told us that he didn’t really think we could do anything for him. We were sort of his last hope. I was so pleased that we could do this. It’s a very special thing to see a young man like that go off to such a great school. I told him we wanted him to come back to this community (after college) and help other students. I think Michael will do that.”
Souza says he will come back. But first he has to make it through Berkeley. He’s still in a precarious situation. Souza says he only has enough money to cover his first year. So it’s nail-biting time, again. In addition to the SAFE scholarship, he received a Cal Grant and has $8,000 in savings. The UC Berkeley financial aid office estimates that it will cost students like Souza (who live on campus) approximately $28,000 for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Those who know him well firmly believe Souza will find a way to get all the financial aid he needs. This is a young man who never, ever gives up. Souza grew up in North Highlands, attending Village Elementary and the former Don Julio Junior High School. He excelled in the most rigorous and challenging academic courses. He passed his AP (Advanced Placement) tests in English Language Arts 11, statistics and physics—earning college credit. Souza was the leader of the HAAD academic decathlon team which placed eighth in the 2009 Sacramento County Academic Decathlon competition. He received a team leadership award, along with two gold medals. In addition to Berkeley, he was accepted at several other University of California campuses, including Davis, Irvine, San Diego and Santa Barbara.
HAAD teacher, Shelly Olson, had Souza in her senior academic decathlon class. She first met him when he was in her seventh-grade World History class at Don Julio. Olson considers Souza an “extraordinary” human being. “Michael is a wonderful, unique and determined young man,” she says. “He is a hard-working, persistent and determined student. I am thrilled that Michael has this opportunity to live his dream. No one deserves it more or has worked harder to achieve it than him.”
Souza is proud of all he has accomplished and thankful for all the people who have been there for him; family, friends, teachers and now SAFE Credit Union. While he intends to make the most of what he calls an “amazing” experience, his financial situation is always in his thoughts. But at this moment, he’s just too excited to think about much except exploring all UC Berkeley has to offer. “I really don’t know how I’m going to pay for it all,” he says. “I’m going to talk to the financial aid people here as soon as I can. Even with concerns about money, this is great. I’m taking 15 units. The people are awesome. Everybody is so nice. I live in the dorms and have two other roommates from Fremont. I’m just very happy, very thankful!”