June 2026 – College Bound AZ

Thank You for an Amazing Year!

We are so very grateful for the support our College Bound AZ community gave to students this past year. Our Hoops for Hope Gala and other donations created the momentum to empower 243 youth to college or trade school. Just look at what you did!

$8 million in financial awards
27 different colleges or trade schools
45% will attend ASU, U of A, or NAU
26 tuition-assistance scholarships
29 college-ready laptops

Congrats to you, RISE Scholars! You are our future through STEM, the humanities, health care, infrastructure, and planetary well-being!

Why this matters is that you are removing barriers to a successful postsecondary completion and the ability to earn a living wage. 25% of economically disadvantaged youth enroll in the next school, or 1 in 4 (AZ Board of Regents 2023 Postsecondary Attainment Report).

Students with their bachelor’s degrees no longer live in poverty. Our graduates can clothe, house, and feed their families. With college success, they go on to leadership roles in the community. Your support makes the difference!

A Special Shout Out to Our Scholarship Donors

At College Bound AZ, we are deeply appreciative of the generous donors and scholarship partners who invest in our students’ futures through dedicated scholarship support.

From one-time awards of $1,000 to transformative multi-year scholarships, these gifts do far more than help cover college expenses — they provide encouragement, stability, confidence, and the powerful reminder that our students’ dreams matter.

Because of your generosity, College Bound AZ students are empowered to persist through challenges, remain focused on their education, and build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.

College Bound AZ is a Qualified Charitable Organization, Charity #22096. The 2027 AZ Tax Credit available for a married couple is $1,009, and you reduce your state tax liability for each dollar donated. Let’s put a scholarship together for your favorite cause! Your tax dollars at work supporting education and Turning Dreams into Degrees!

Boot, Scoot and Boogey!

Join the excitement on October 30, 2026, for the Boots & Bling Gala that provides scholarships to the incoming class of 2027.

Ready to line dance? Professional dancers lead the fun and share a few steps so you can get your cowboy (or girl) on!

Be a part of something special through your table or ticket purchase.

And sponsorships, too. Heck yeah!

Using E-Waste to Launch New College Bound AZ Initiative: The Pathway Accelerator for Career and Education (PACE) Center

The world generates more than 60 million tons of electronic waste (E-Waste) every year. Much of it simply sits forgotten in closets, storage rooms, warehouses, and back offices.

At College Bound AZ, we want to turn that E-Waste into support for our scholarships and newest program, the Pathway Accelerator for Career and Education (PACE) Center. We know that with your help we can turn old technology into new futures for our youth while leveraging the new Workforce Pell Grant.

The Workforce Pell Grant program expands federal Pell Grants to cover short-term career training and credential programs (8 to 15 weeks, or 150–599 clock hours). Recipients may receive up to $4,310 per year. Aimed at high-demand fields like healthcare, IT, and skilled trades, it helps students quickly qualify for well-paying jobs without traditional degree requirements. Notably, it is also open to students who already hold a bachelor’s degree. However, there is an overall lifetime Pell Grant limit.

Our E-Waste Recycling Program helps transform unwanted electronics into scholarships, laptops, and educational opportunities for underserved youth through the College Bound AZ office. Be a part of launching the Pathway Accelerator for Career and Education (PACE) Center. Instead of letting outdated electronics collect dust or end up in landfills, your donation can help a student achieve their dream of a brighter future through education.

We are currently accepting donations of:

Old computers & laptops
Servers & networking equipment
Printers & monitors
Tablets & cell phones
Cables & chargers
Audio/video equipment
Office electronics & accessories
Small business IT equipment
Other outdated or unused electronic devices

What is E-Waste?
E-waste includes almost any electronic item that plugs in, powers on, charges, or stores data.

Your organization may qualify for a Tax Donation Credit simply by donating your recyclable electronics sitting unused right now.

Benefits of donating:

✅ Support scholarships and student success
✅ Help reduce landfill waste
✅ Protect the environment
✅ Potential tax deduction for your donation
✅ Free up valuable storage space

Turn your old technology into an opportunity for our future.

To schedule an e-waste pick up or drop-off donation or learn more, contact College Bound AZ today at [email protected] and help us empower the next generation of college graduates. College Bound is a QCO #22096.

Angel Mendez Solis, Future Mechanical Engineer, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Angel Mendez Solis’ quiet demeanor belies his ambitious goal. He’s a 4.0 student who will be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University this fall. He is one of the 2026 RISE Scholars to receive both a laptop scholarship and a STEM tuition-assistance scholarship.

Angel and his mom stopped by the RISE Scholars office to receive his scholarship. He was delighted to have a laptop to take to college. “My mom and I were out shopping for a laptop, and then I received the news that I got the scholarship,” Angel said. “Laptops run about $700, so getting this is a pretty big deal for my family.”

RISE Scholars’ Pilar Sosa Gonzalez Honored for Her America 250 Essay

In 2026, the nation celebrates 250 years of independence, and in honor of that history-making event, College Bound AZ offered a $2,500 America250 Scholarship awarded to Pilar Sosa Gonzalez for the best essay on what it means to live in the United States of America.

Pilar’s winning essay is a validation that hard work and perseverance bring success. Her hard work shows in her 4.0 grade point average, and she is enrolled at Arizona State University for Fall 2026 to study neuroscience. Reflecting on what it meant for her to receive the America250 scholarship, she said “I was surprised but also so happy to win the scholarship. I submitted my essay, hoping for the best.”

In addition to the scholarship, the Arizona America250 Commission Executive Director Laura Terech (far right) invited Pilar and her family to the State Capitol to receive an Arizona State Flag flown in her honor. Accompanying the flag was a letter from the Chair of the AZ America250 Commission and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, which was presented by Tonia Tunnell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (second from right).

Pilar, congratulations on your achievements, the first of many to come your way!

Thank You!

To our donors, partners, and supporters, thank you for making this work possible.

Together, we are changing lives, one student at a time.