Sofia Garcia-Loya’s planned journey to become a high school math teacher will be substantially easier for her and her family.

Garcia-Loya, of Salinas, who plans to attend Cal State Monterey Bay this fall, was recenltly announced as the winner of the George P. Shultz Future Leaders Scholarship, which honors local students who are underrepresented in the science or conservation fields. 

The scholarship was presented at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Shultz, a former secretary of state who died in 2021, was a founding chair of the Aquarium’s Leadership Council. Several donors established the scholarship after his death. 

Garcia-Loya is the third recipient of the award, which will cover her tuition, housing, books and other expenses for four years. 

“It’s very important to me,” Garcia-Loya said. “My dad works in the fields and my mom stopped working last year. This scholarship is going to help me grow and just focus on school.”

She said two of her teachers at Alisal High School encouraged her to apply for the scholarship. She was shocked when she heard she had won, she said, so much so that she couldn’t initially accept the news.

“I couldn’t really believe it until the next day,” she said. “I told my parents and they were very excited.”

As part of the terms of her award, Garcia-Loya will work an internship at the aquarium this fall. 

“I’m going to start working at the aquarium educational center,” she said. “I think I’m going to work with teachers in a bilingual program.”

That work will help in her preparation to become a high school teacher, which is her initial goal.

“Maybe later on I’ll become a college professor,” she said.