Kelsey Castillo
San Ramon, CA
Chapman University

Makiyah Clausell
Celebration, FL
University of Central Florida

Sofia C. Cordon
Houston, TX   
The University of Oklahoma

Ross Gallo
Chapel Hill, NC
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bryce Adrienne Hunt
Oakland, CA  
Stanford University

Gabriella Jaakkola
Richmond, CA
University of California, Irvine

Samuel Morrison
Stockton, CA
University of California, Berkeley

Allyson Nguyen
Houston, TX
University of Texas, San Antonio

Opemipo Oyenekan
Katy, TX
Texas A&M University

Gavin Marshall Puckett
Prosper, TX
Texas A&M University

Katherine Anise Tadayeski
El Dorado Hills, CA
Texas Christian University

Felipe Toledo
Albany, CA
University of San Francisco

Each spring, the Credit Union awards 12 scholarships in the amount of $1,000 to go toward the educational goals of the winning applicants. Please check back in March 2026 for the next application opportunity.

Submitting your David P. Smay Scholarship application is easier than ever this year!

Just complete the form on this page with your contact information and upload two documents:

• A thoughtful essay with a title (double-spaced, two pages maximum, eleven point font minimum) on this topic: "What career are you interested in? What do you foresee as the challenges facing that position or industry ten years from now?"
  
• Your transcript(s) reflecting all four years of high school, including your cumulative, un-weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale

Applications for the 2025 David P. Smay Scholarship are being accepted through April 30.

Essays will be judged on the following:

• Theme – How well did the essay address this year’s topic?
• Structure – Is the essay well-organized?
• Clarity – Is the essay easy to understand?
• Accuracy – Is spelling and grammar correct?
• Sincerity – Does the essay seem sincere and well thought out?

Twelve winners will be announced online and via email on or around May 31, 2025. 

The Credit Union will award a David P. Smay Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 for each winning submission. Funds will be disbursed directly to the winners’ chosen schools. Winners must supply the street address for the school office/department that receives outside scholarship funds.

Please email us at scholarships@spectrumcu.org or call us at 510-251-6000 or 800-782-8782 if you have any questions.

To apply, you (the student) must be:

• Have a Spectrum Credit Union membership with all accounts in good standing (If you are not a member, please complete an online membership application or visit your local branch to join)
• A graduating high school senior, 19 years of age or younger
  

• A thoughtful essay with a title (double-spaced, two pages maximum, eleven point font minimum) on this topic: "What career are you interested in? What do you foresee as the challenges facing that position or industry ten years from now?"
• Your transcript(s) reflecting all four years of high school, including your cumulative, un-weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale

• Applications must be submitted electronically using the form below
  
• Scholarship submissions must include your name, Spectrum CU member number, home address, phone number, email address, name of the post-secondary school you plan to attend, and your college student ID number (if available)
  
• Submissions are closed for 2025 and winners will be announced on or around May 31, 2025.

The David P. Smay Scholarship

David P. Smay III volunteered for more than a decade on the Credit Union’s Board of Directors, serving many years as Chairman.

During his tenure, a number of milestones were achieved which continue to contribute to the growth and success of the Credit Union, including the introduction of online banking, the MarketEdge account, and fixed-rate mortgages.

Mr. Smay had an acclaimed 40-year career with Chevron Corporation and was well-loved and hailed as a leader in every position he held. He resigned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, retired as General Manager of Benefit Investments for Chevron, and finished his career as a Board Member of the Chevron Retirees Association. He was a true inspiration to all who met him.

The David P. Smay Scholarship is awarded each Spring to graduating high school students who exemplify the values of high academics and leadership in the community. Each winning applicant receives a scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

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