2011 Founder’s Alumni Scholarship Winner Announced
Esmeralda Lopez-Reed has been selected as the 2011 Founder’s Alumni Scholarship recipient by Child S.H.A.R.E., according to April Steele, Executive Director. The award will be officially presented on September 24th, 2011 at the 26th Annual Child S.H.A.R.E. Gala at the California Club in Downtown Los Angeles.
“Esmeralda is the perfect choice – she is a vivacious and intelligent young lady,” explained April Steele. “She is talented and energetic; we look forward to watching her blossom into a very successful part of the community and Child S.H.A.R.E. is extremely proud of our choice.”
Barbara and E.J. Reed, Esmeralda”s adoptive parents, were warned soon after her birth that, as a “failure to thrive” baby, she was not likely to survive. Mrs. Reed firmly told the social worker handling her case: “I have not had a baby die on me yet, I am not starting with her. I have waited too long for a daughter.” After spending the first four months of her life in the hospital, the Reeds visited Esmeralda for months before they were able to take their daughter home, and as Mrs. Reed explained: “Esmeralda is a miracle.”
Since entering the Reed home, Esmeralda has thrived; she is the only daughter amongst 8 boys. She has been an active leader on her high school campus, serving as the President of the French Club and Student Leadership, as well as an accomplished competitive speaker, placing 2nd at two major competitions. Esmeralda is a leader in the community as well; she has served as a student leader at Highlands Church, and she has participated in 7 mission trips to Mexico. Esmeralda is also a member of the California Adopted Youth Advocacy Team (CYAT) through Children’s Bureau of California; Esmeralda has worked to increase education and awareness about children waiting to be adopted from the foster care system.
Esmeralda plans to attend 2 community colleges this fall and winter in anticipation for her spring 2012 enrollment at Simpson University in Redding, CA, where she will study speech pathology. Esmeralda views adoption as a “good thing,” as foster and adoptive parents are like “mosaic makers” in that “they take broken things and make them whole and beautiful.”
The 2011 Child S.H.A.R.E. Gala will honor Dr. T. Scott Daniels as this year’s Guardian Angel Award recipient, and the program includes gourmet dinner, a live musical performance and silent and live auctions. Tickets for the September 24th event are still available. For more information or to reserve tickets, please contact Loreena Garcia, Special Events Manager, at 818.649.8017 or lgarcia@childshare.org.
