Five local high school seniors were recognized this year by the Alpine Woman’s Club for their academic accomplishments and community involvement, receiving scholarships to support their higher education goals.
The awards, presented annually through the Alpine Woman’s Club Scholarship, Education and Preservation Foundation, are open to graduating seniors who reside in Alpine. Applicants must demonstrate scholastic achievement, active participation in their community and submit a personal essay outlining their future educational goals.
Among this year’s recipients are Angiovanna McMahill of El Capitan High School and Allison Hamilton of River Valley Charter High School.
McMahill graduated with a 4.83 GPA and was named to the honor roll throughout high school. She completed multiple Advanced Placement courses, passed all associated state exams and was involved in El Capitan’s Global Language and Leadership Program and Medtech Pathway.
“(This scholarship) not only reinforces my hard work but it also motivates me for the future and continuing to do my best, and make everybody who has supported me proud,” she said. “But it also is a way for me to make my dreams of attending college more possible just with all the financial aid.”
McMahill was a four-year varsity athlete in field hockey and lacrosse, earning All- League defensive first team honors in field hockey during her senior season. She said this experience strengthened her teamwork and communication skills. She also volunteers for several organizations and currently serves as Miss Mountain Empire 2024/2025.
She plans to attend the University of California, Davis, to major in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, with a goal of pursuing a master’s degree in forensic science and a career with the FBI, a dream of hers since the third grade. She hopes her future work is impactful.
A fluent Spanish speaker, she began studying the language in Alpine’s inaugural dual enrollment program and continued through high school. McMahill believes this skill will benefit her in her future career with the FBI.
“Being able to speak another language I’m able to communicate with a wider variety of people,” McMahill said. “It helps me have wider perspectives, so it makes me more inclined to be cultural competent, which is understanding people’s backgrounds, and be respectful and accepting of other cultures.”
Hamilton, also a lifelong Alpine resident, graduated from River Valley Charter High School, where she has been enrolled since seventh grade. During her senior year, she served as class president and played a leadership role in planning prom and other events.
“I’ve lived in Alpine my whole life and it’s an honor to be seen and heard for all of the things that I’ve tried for in high school and just that my effort is seen,” she said. “Getting this scholarship is people understanding my story and wanting to reward me, it was awesome.”
Outside of school, she has worked as a horseback riding instructor and participated in church activities.
Hamilton plans to attend California State University, Fullerton in the fall, where she will major in Urban Learning through the College of Education. She said she faced challenges in her own education due to dyslexia and anxiety and hopes to become a teacher to support students with similar experiences.
She credits her teachers who supported her along the way for inspiring her career path.
“My whole essay for this scholarship was about my teachers who really impacted my desire to be an educator,” Hamilton said. “They saw me, my struggles and saw me through my grades, and saw me as a person and not just as another student in the classroom.”
To date, the Alpine Woman’s Club has awarded more than $176,000 in scholarships to local students.
