2025 Head Start Alumni Scholarship Winners Announced

We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 Head Start Alumni Scholarship, now celebrating its fifth year of empowering former students. Each of the selected recipients will receive a $2,500 scholarship to support their educational aspirations and endeavors. Both winners attended Head Start programs in the Lehigh Valley during their childhood.

This year, we are proud to recognize two outstanding students: Wyatt Vargas and Joelis Santiago.

Wyatt Vargas credits his Head Start experience in Bethlehem with building a strong emotional and social foundation, which helped him learn self-expression. These foundational years continue to influence his character and determination. Despite academic challenges at Liberty High School, Wyatt’s focus and consistent drive to improve exemplify his perseverance.

Wyatt admirably balances his school responsibilities with a 20-hour-a-week job at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, where he provides cleaning and technical support. His dedication to both personal and professional growth, alongside his strong work ethic, is truly impressive.

Wyatt is passionate about welding, a hands-on career where he can take pride in the tangible results of his labor. This led him to pursue the field, and he plans to enroll in the adult welding program at Bethlehem Area Vocational & Technical School once open enrollment begins in July.

Joelis Santiago’s educational path started in an Allentown Head Start classroom, where she gained essential skills like structure, routine, and her first English lessons. This early foundation provided her with the confidence and tools necessary for both academic and personal success.

As a recent graduate of Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, she finds dance to be a central and passionate form of expression in her life. 

Her experiences as a waitress at Perkins, particularly the diverse stories of her customers, have inspired her to pursue a healthcare career, driven by a desire to serve others. Joelis is set to attend Thomas Jefferson University, where she will pursue a degree in Health Sciences, specializing in Pre-Medical Imaging and Radiation Studies. Her ambition is to become a diagnostic sonographer, with a particular interest in working in hospital environments, especially those serving underserved communities. As a bilingual caregiver, Joelis is dedicated to bringing technical excellence, compassion, and empathy to medical imaging, ensuring patient-centered care delivered with humanity and heart.

Both Wyatt and Joelis embody the spirit of resilience and determination that the Head Start program fosters. We are excited to see how they will use their education to impact their communities positively. Congratulations to our winners, and thank you to everyone who applied for this scholarship! Your hard work is truly inspiring.