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Joel Lopez honored by Padres Scholars program

The 14th class of Padres Scholars included Fallbrook’s Joel Lopez.

Lopez was recognized as one of the recipients of the scholarship prior to the San Diego Padres’ June 8 game at Petco Park. “We were very excited about it,” said his mother, Elizabeth Lopez. “We are so proud of him.”

Although Joel, who graduated from Potter Junior High School on June 13, will not be able to use the scholarship unless he attends a four-year university and maintains other standards over the next four years, the $7,000 he was given will accrue interest during that time.

“We want to instill in families that college is a reasonable expectation,” said Sue Botos, the director of the Padres Foundation. “By providing them with $7,000 in eighth grade we want them to know it’s an achievable goal. We don’t want money to stand in the way.”

The Padres Scholars program began in 1995 when catcher Brad Ausmus and outfielders Steve Finley and Tony Gwynn initiated a program to fund future college scholarships.

The team soon matched the players’ contributions, and since 1995 more than $2 million has been raised from players, owners, sponsors, and fans. Earlier classes of Padres Scholars have attended Ivy League, University of California, ethnic, and other universities.

“We’re looking for outstanding kids. We look for kids who have financial need, who will be the first person in their families to attend a four-year college or university, kids who are achievement-driven, kids who strike us as go-getters and those who we think a scholarship would make a difference for,” Botos said.

The criteria of being the first in their families to attend college isn’t a requirement but rather a determination of who might not otherwise attend college without the scholarship.

“It’s by no means a deal-breaker,” Botos said.

Joel is the fourth of five siblings and will be at least the third in his family to attend college, since the two oldest Lopez siblings will be at University of San Diego and Cal State University San Marcos when the 2008-09 school year begins.

“He was exceptional in other ways,” Botos said.

The Padres Scholars are selected from eighth-graders who are part of the AVID program.

The AVID classes inform the students about the scholarships, and applicants must write an essay. The AVID teacher then selects one student from each school to advance to the county level, where they write a more detailed essay.

Joel was one of approximately 200 students who went to the County Office of Education in mid-February for that part of the scholarship competition.

The Padres Foundation selected 96 of those students for interviews March 13-15 and selected 15 of those students, including Joel, to be the Padres Scholars Class of 2008.

“He’s reached this point with his own determination,” Elizabeth Lopez said. “He’s exceptionally organized. He wants work done, and he wants it done neatly.”

In his essay Joel claimed that he was always known as “the naughty one in his family” but has become “a responsible and intelligent young man who is often asked for help” by his fellow students.

His fall semester report card for eighth grade gave him his first straight-A grades in his Potter Junior High School career.

The 14-year-old Joel, a lifelong Fallbrook resident whose grandmother attended Fallbrook High School when it was on the site of the current Boys & Girls Club, attended Fallbrook Street Elementary School and Live Oak Elementary School before his two years at Potter.

He has overcome his speech-delayed status which during his preschool years qualified him for the Head Start program. He was also part of the Parents As Teachers preschool program.

When Joel was in sixth grade he competed in the Math Olympiad. He also competed in the Don Dornon Games that year, finishing third in the 800-meter run.

After completing his competition years, Joel performed volunteer work for the Don Dornon Games. He also served as the AVID Club treasurer for 2007-08.

Joel, who is the youngest of three boys, is the fourth child in his family to participate in the AVID program, and his younger sister is also expected to be a part of AVID. Joel has also been involved in local tree-planting programs.

The scholarship requirements include remaining in AVID and maintaining a specified grade point average.

When Joel was at Petco Park for his recognition, he received advice from one of the previous Padres Scholars on what he will need to do over the next few years.

Joel plans to try out for Fallbrook High School’s basketball and track and field teams. He is contemplating either a business or an engineering major in college and is leaning toward attending UCLA or San Diego State University.

Joel’s trip to Petco Park June 8 also included a lunch for the Padres Scholars. He was welcomed by past Padres Scholars and introduced to the fans.

Padres pitcher Mike Adams escorted Joel while the youngster was being introduced, and Joel was also shown on the FriarVision scoreboard.

Joel, who cites Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez as his favorite player, met both Gonzalez brothers on the field that day, and in addition to meeting Adrian and Edgar Gonzalez he was also able to meet Padres pitcher Greg Maddux.

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