Scholarships

As part of its support of students in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, the Saddleback Valley Educational Foundation (SVEF) is proud to present this year’s scholarship to deserving seniors graduating from our high schools.

Mission Viejo Company Scholarship

The Mission Viejo Company Scholarship is given to a deserving student who is a resident of Mission Viejo attending one of the three high schools in Mission Viejo. All recipients for this scholarship were selected by their school counselors.

2023 Mission Viejo Company Scholarship was awarded to Timothy Egley, Atherv Vidhate, and Nefi Centeno Gomez, in the amount of $500 each.

Mission Viejo High School Recipient: Timothy Egley

Timothy Egley, with a 4.8 GPA, has accumulated academic awards such as AP Scholar with Distinction Award for passing five AP exams, Diablo Excellence Awards for academic achievement, and Spirit of the Diablo Award for demonstrating good character. He has been an active member of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF), National Honor Society (NHS), Orchestra, Science Olympiad Club and Unified Helper’s Club, in which he was a peer tutor and musical leader. In the community, Timothy worked as a group leader during Vacation Bible School and volunteered to be part of the Second Harvest Food Bank. In addition, he worked as a magician for the famed School of Astonishment, where he ran several summer camps for children ages 8-12 and performed many magical tricks by using his creative storytelling skills.  

He has grown up with a fascination for cars and spent most of his high school years simply wanting to learn more. He received his practical training while being part of the automotive program and his analytical experience while taking IB Physics. He has decided to pursue a career in Automotive Design in hopes of being part of the industry’s future vision. Timothy will be attending Purdue University in the fall to study Mechanical Engineering.

Trabuco Hills High School Recipient: Atherv Vidhate

Atherv Vidhate, with a 4.96 GPA, received honors as an AP Scholar with Distinction and is a member of the California Scholarship Federation and the National Honor Society. He is a mentor in STEM Extreme, where he was the co-president and treasurer for Miracles for Kids. He helped to educate and foster interest with elementary school children about STEM fields. He is also a co-founder and VP of Scholar Ballerz, a peer tutoring organization designed to assist high school students improve their knowledge in areas where they might be struggling academically. He has given time as a member of UNICEF, Key Club, Science Olympiad, as well as Model United Nations. He also works for Kumon where he tutors children in math and reading.

Atherv is passionate about computer science and his goal is to become a Software Engineer or an AI Developer. He has already completed AP Computer Science courses in preparation for college. Atherv will be attending UC San Diego in the fall, majoring in Data Science.

Silverado High School Recipient: Nefi Centeno Gomez 

Nefi Centeno Gomez was born in Mexico and came to the United States as a kindergartener. English was a foreign language to him, so he spent his early school years learning and mastering his new country’s language. However, everything changed in eighth grade when the written and spoken came together. He not only gained academic success, but also friendships and a goal to become a successful entrepreneur. He wants to one day start his own company making protective gear for the military and use the profits to help build schools in nations where education funding is scarce.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been given a free education. I believe education should be free across the world and accessible to any human being who wants it.”

Family and respect for his parents are especially important to Nefi. They are determined for their children to achieve greater opportunities and have always emphasized the importance of doing well in school. Nefi plans to attend Saddleback College this fall to pursue his educational goals.