RMHC Awards $141,000 in Scholarships

Las Vegas, NV, May 4, 2020 – Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) of Greater Las Vegas, along with McDonald’s® and its community partners, has awarded $141,250 to 90 high school seniors and 43 returning college students through the organization’s Scholarship Program for 2020.

Since 1999, RMHC and its community partners have awarded more than $4.4M in scholarships to eligible students and alumni in Clark and Nye counties. RMHC Las Vegas is the largest, and one of only two remaining RMHC chapters in the world that offer a scholarship program.

“In these uncertain times, RMHC is excited to be able to preserve the Ronald McDonald Scholarship Program this year,” said Alyson McCarthy, CEO of RMHC of Greater Las Vegas. “We know that so many deserving students really depend on this financial assistance, and now more than ever, it can mean the difference between going, or not going, to college in the fall.”

RMHC staff and scholarship committee members plan to hold a scholarship appreciation event via RMHC Facebook Live on Monday, May 18th at 12pm for students to be honored virtually.  In addition, recipients will receive a scholarship certificate via email.

Alyssa Marie Lagua, one of RMHC’s 2020 scholarship recipients, is a student in the Certified Nursing Assistant program at West Career & Technical Academy. In the fall, she will be attending the University of Pennsylvania, which is ranked as the world’s best nursing school. As an immigrant and a first-generation college student, she is excited for the opportunities the scholarship will provide.

“My brothers couldn’t afford college, and my parents told me it was OK to not aim as high as I wanted due to costs. The scholarship funding is making my dreams come true,” says Alyssa. “I always dreamed I could go to any college I wanted and be able to afford it on my own.  With this, a dream of mine has been fulfilled.”

A portion of every Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper sold in McDonald’s stores helps support the RMHC of Greater Las Vegas Scholarship Program, as does a portion of every Happy Meal sold at all participating McDonald’s locations. Additionally, RMHC works with several community partners who provide scholarship funding, including 100 Black Men, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Hispanic Educators, Omega Psi Phi, The Village Foundation, United Firefighters, and the James & Eva Martin Charitable Trust.

More information on our Scholarship Program can be found on our website: https://rmhlv.org/scholarship-program/