Fil-Am teens get Young Filipino Professionals Association scholarships

Ambassador Jose Cuisia (center) and Deputy Consul Jaime Ramon Ascalon (extreme right) with officers of the Young Filipino American Professionals and Alexandra Dreschler, one of two scholarship recipients. Recipient Julianne Sison had to leave earlier for a performance. PHOTO BY MANDY CHAVEZ

SAN FRANCISCO, California – Two high-achieving Filipino American teenagers each received a $1,000 scholarship from the Young Filipino Professionals Association.

Alexandra Drechsler, teenage beauty queen, fashion model, community advocate, blogger, scholar and INQUIRER.net correspondent is senior at Presentation High School.

Julienne Sison, a “dance mama,” (a role that entails organizing rehearsals and being a “positive presence”), pianist and hospital volunteer, is a senior at Lick-Wilmerding in San Francisco.

Dreschler is a graduating from a school where she is yearbook editor-in-chief and involved in the Presentation Ambassadors Club, Community Involvement, Mu Alpha Theta, California Scholarship Federation, Peer Ministry, Leadership Academy.

She recently completed a project collecting over 800 books and funds to donate to remote libraries in the Philippines through Books for the Barrios. Alex, as friends call her, writes for SF Post and INQUIRER.net. She is a blogger, webmaster and honorable mention awardedd for the Youth Voice Category during the 2013 Plaridel Awards of the Philippine American Press Club.

Drechsler has been in various fashion pageants like the “Snow Show” during the San Francisco Fashion Week, the Phil. International Aid show, and she currently holds titles in several pageants. She also hosted the Miss Philippines Earth USA Pageant last November and recently signed with City Models Management as model.

She hopes to publish her own book and have her own show to highlight local business and promote community events. She will be attending Santa Clara University in the fall, majoring in communications with a minor in business.

Julienne Sison, also very active in school, served as an executive co-vice president of her senior class. She was also president of her school’s Filipino Heritage Club, exploring her Filipino heritage and helping foster an appreciation for the culture.

Sison has been dancing since age four, studying jazz, ballet, tap, contemporary and hip-hop. She wants to pursue medicine and become a doctor. She will be attending University of California, majoring in neurobiology, physiology and behavior.

Regina Finuliar, current president of the Young Filipino Professionals  Association (YFPA), proudly handed the $1,000 scholarship to each recipient, in anticipation of their starting college this fall.

This is the scholarship’s first year. The program recognizes graduating high school students involved in the Filipino community and who have an interest in pursuing a college degree.

The objective of the program is to provide financial assistance to deserving students who have exhibited leadership skills and decided to seek higher education.

Scholarship recipients were selected on the basis of academic achievement, educational and career goals; application essay originality, grammar and organization; financial need; leadership experience and interview.

The YFPA Scholarship Awards Night was held recently at the Philippine Center’s Social Hall with Philippine Ambassador to the U.S., Jose L.Cuisia, Jr. as guest speaker.