Antonio Negrete Recipient of the Joe McGinley Academic Scholarship during the 2022-2023 academic year. Chapter: Delta Eta School: University of California, Los Angeles Graduation Year: 2023

My Testimonial

Dear Sigma Chi,

I wanted to start by stating how much of an honor it is to be chosen as a scholarship recipient.

My name is Antonio Negrete, and I am a 4th-year transfer student who transferred from Riverside City College and am majoring in biology. I am a low-income, first-generation college student who has endured many challenges. At the age of 15, I dealt with the loss of my mother after her eight-month battle with leukemia. Shortly after her passing, I decided to volunteer at the hospital where she received her care. Now five years later, I have grown so much. During my first semester in college, I researched steps to resilience for students who have loved ones with severe illnesses, specifically cancer. With that, I developed a desire to reach out to those who have lost a parent with cancer.

In the future, I aspire to become a doctor. I am keeping my mind open to specialties since I do not want to have my heart set on something. I have instilled the values that I have learned from Sigma Chi into furthering my future as a leader.

This scholarship has taken off a huge financial burden. Having a single father who doesn't earn much has led me to worry about my financial situation at school since I do not want him to stress. With this money, I can focus more on maintaining a solid GPA and doing research, making me a more competitive med school applicant. Generous donations like these are what I hope to do once I finish my education, as I have already experienced the challenges firsthand. Joining Sigma Chi was one of the best decisions that I made in my college experiences, and I will be eternally grateful for everything that it has given me.

Sincerely, Antonio Negrete