FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - Each year, the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD) selects deserving high school juniors or seniors to receive the Rachel Anne Gray Memorial Scholarship.

Recipients of the scholarship are selected based on service to the community and personal achievement, and the 2019 recipients are Kobe Huynh, Nicole Hensley, Cerys McLean, Riley Day, and Macey McAdams.

The Rachel Anne Gray Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the memory of Rachel Anne Gray, who passed away at the age of 21 on September 2, 2012. Gray made a significant impact on young leaders as a member of the Fair Oaks Youth Advisory Board (FOYAB) from 2006 through 2008, and she was a valued member of the Fair Oaks community. She graduated from Bella Vista High School in 2008 and went on to study at California State University Sacramento, earning a degree in International Business.

This is the sixth year of the Rachel Anne Gray Memorial Scholarship program, and over $15,000 has been awarded to youth in Fair Oaks. Mary Cattolica, FORPD senior recreation leader, explained the selection process: “The scholarship focuses heavily on community involvement and service. The students who apply give a speech to the selection committee comprised of our staff as well as members of Rachel’s family.” Although students are required to hold a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for selection, the scholarship is not based on academic achievement, nor is it a need-based scholarship. Students are eligible for selection if they are a Fair Oaks resident, a student of a Fair Oaks school, or a member of FOYAB.

FOYAB, which is organized and supported by the FORPD, is a youth leadership program that serves in an advisory capacity to the District’s Board of Directors. It allows the youth of Fair Oaks to participate in the development of District programs and provides them the opportunity to help shape the community in which they live. Members of FOYAB work to promote the Rachel Anne Gray Memorial Scholarship Foundation, helping to raise money for the scholarship fund to and continue Gray’s enduring legacy in Fair Oaks.