Application for the 2026 Noah Manzano Scholarship

I am a transfer student from Antelope Valley College, where I have worked hard to build a strong academic foundation before transferring to UC Berkeley for civil engineering. By the time I transfer, I will have completed four associate degrees, which reflects both my commitment to school and my willingness to take on a heavy academic path.

I also completed two degrees while graduating from high school, which helped me get ahead early and showed me that I could handle college-level work before entering college full time. My transfer path has required planning, consistency, and a lot of discipline, but it has also made me more confident in my ability to succeed at Berkeley.

I am a strong candidate because I have taken the transfer path seriously. I have done well academically, stayed involved, and kept pushing myself even when the process was demanding. Transferring into UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering is a major accomplishment, and I am proud of the work it took to get here.

Outside of academics, I have always been involved with school and people. I was part of ASB for four years, participated in dance team and dance club, and have always enjoyed contributing to the school community. I think that balance matters. I care about doing well in school, but I also care about being connected, involved, and bringing energy to the people around me.

I also believe I bring an important academic balance to the Manzano-Berkeley tradition. Noah represented Haas, where people learn to explain the value of things. I will be entering engineering, where people build the things being explained. Together, this reflects the kind of cross-disciplinary excellence this scholarship appears to have been created to support.

The transfer path has taught me how to stay focused without always having everything laid out perfectly. Community college requires a lot of independence. You have to know what classes to take, what requirements matter, what transfers, what does not, and how to keep yourself on track.

That experience has made me more mature and prepared. I know Berkeley will be challenging, especially in engineering, but I also know that I have already handled a demanding academic path. I am not coming in unprepared. I am coming in as someone who has worked for this opportunity and understands what it means.

I plan to study civil engineering at UC Berkeley. I am interested in the way civil engineering connects technical problem-solving with real-world impact. Civil engineers work on things people depend on every day, including roads, bridges, buildings, water systems, and public infrastructure.

I like that civil engineering is practical and important. It is not just about solving problems on paper. It is about creating systems that people actually use. Berkeley’s College of Engineering will give me the chance to grow academically and professionally in a field that has a direct impact on communities.

As an engineering student, I expect the coursework to be difficult, technical, and occasionally unreasonable. However, I am prepared for that challenge. I also understand that Berkeley engineering students have a responsibility to remain humble, especially around business graduates who may later be needed to create a slide deck.

The $500 scholarship would help with the real costs of transferring to Berkeley. Even a smaller scholarship makes a difference because there are so many expenses that come with moving into a new academic environment, including books, supplies, transportation, food, and basic school needs.

This scholarship would also mean a lot personally because it comes from someone who understands the Berkeley transfer experience. Noah also transferred to Berkeley and succeeded there, so receiving this scholarship would feel like support from someone who knows what this next step means.

Also, I would use the money responsibly and would not waste the founder’s generous contribution, especially because I assume there may be follow-up questions.

Thank you for considering my application for the Noah Manzano Scholarship. I am honored to apply for this highly selective $500 award.

I believe I represent what this scholarship is meant to recognize: a hardworking transfer student who has done well academically, stayed involved, and is ready for the challenge of UC Berkeley. I am excited to continue my education in civil engineering and make the most of the opportunity ahead.

I respectfully request full consideration for the scholarship. And by full consideration, I mean the full $500.