May 31—This year’s crop of scholarship recipients and applicants impressed mightily and bode well for Cleburne’s future, Cleburne Rotarian Sidney Pruitt said.

Three of the four students receiving scholarships received their awards and commemorative plaques Thursday at Our Place Restaurant during the Cleburne Rotary Club’s weekly luncheon.

One student received the Marti Foundation Scholarship while three others received the Cleburne Rotary Lowell Smith Career and Technology Scholarship.

George Marti — a former veteran, businessman and Cleburne mayor who passed away in 2015 at the age of 95 — founded the Marti Foundation in 1988 to award scholarships to area students planning to attend 4-year universities among other charitable endeavors.

Lowell “Stretch” Smith Jr., a former banker, rotarian and veteran, founded the Mustang Foundation. Among other things, the foundation awards annual scholarships to area students pursuing junior college, technical or trade school certifications or degrees. Smith passed away at the age of 88 in 2021.

Cleburne businessman Robert Riza, who serves as executive director of the Marti Foundation, explained that the scholarship applicants undergo formal interviews during the selection process and consist of students in the top 10% of their graduating class.

“We have more than 400 students at universities across the country,” Riza said. “It’s been a great honor for me to be able to work with the Marti Foundation to impact so many lives through something Mr. and Mrs. Marti started decades ago.”

Selection committee members chose Cleburne High School graduate Mariela Garcia-Garcia as this year’s Marti Foundation Scholarship recipient.

“We were just blown away by her in the interview process and impressed by what a well rounded student she is,” Pruitt said.

Garcia-Garcia plans to attend the University of North Texas in the fall to pursue a degree in nursing.

“I feel blessed to receive this scholarship and thank everybody in this room and on the selection committee,” Garcia-Garcia said. “Everyone knows that college is not exactly super cheap and so I appreciate this.”

Garcia-Garcia praised the opportunities available at CHS including the school’s career tech and certification programs and said she looks forward to realizing her dream of becoming a nurse.

Jessalyn Ostrander, a Blum High School graduate, said she intends to use her Smith Scholarship to study cosmotology at Hill College.

“I’m very thankful to all of you for receiving this,’ Ostrander said. “I plan to have my own salon one day and so may get a business degree too through a program at my work.”

CHS grad Christian Whitehead, the second Smith Scholarship recipient, said he plans to attend the fire academy at Hill College.

“Christian is a great young man and we’re excited to see what his future holds,” Pruitt said.

The third recipient, CHS grad Alejandro Hurtado, was out of town and unable to attend Thursday’s ceremony.

Hurtado will attend Texas State Technical College where he plans to study to become an electrician, Pruitt said.

“Hurtado is just a really motivated young man who faced a lot of adversity at a young age,” Pruitt said. “He lost both of his parents in a span of three years and is living with his older brother now. But he’s very motivated and we’re all excited for him and his future as well.”

Pruitt said he hopes to invite Hurtado to an upcoming Cleburne Rotary meeting so that all members can meet and congratulate him.