Cleveland valedictorian gets prestigious scholarship

Cleveland High School graduate and valedictorian Graciela Rodriguez received the prestigious Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) STAR Scholarship.

She was recommended by P.E.O. Chapter BP of Rio Rancho. The scholarship amounts to $2,500.

On top of being valedictorian, Rodriguez served as president of Key Club, was a Science Olympiad participant as well as a member of Storming STEM. She played the cello as a member of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony and Rio Rancho Orchestra. Rodriguez will attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston in the fall to pursue a degree in physics.

The P.E.O. STAR Scholarship was established in 2009 to provide scholarships for exceptional women in their final year of high school to attend an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the U.S. or Canada in the next academic year. The competitive STAR Scholarship is for women who exhibit excellence in leadership, academics, extracurricular activities, community service and potential for future success.

According to the website, P.E.O. has been celebrating women helping women reach for the stars for more than 155 years. Since its inception in 1869, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 125,000 women pursue educational goals by providing approximately $432 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans. The sisterhood also owns and supports Cottey College. Through membership, the P.E.O. sisterhood has brought together more than half a million women in the United States and Canada who are passionate about helping women advance through education while supporting and motivating them.