Aldo Vidal, a newly-graduated student from Eastmont Opportunities Program (EOP), accepts his $10,000 scholarship from Wenatchee Sunrise Rotary Club. This scholarship program selects up to eight high school sophomores at risk of not graduating, pairs them with Rotary Club mentors for two years, and offers incentives for meeting goals in mentoring, community service, and academics.
Two years of passing grades, regularly scheduled meetings with a Rotary Club mentor, and hours of service projects: that’s what it takes to qualify as a recipient for the Challenge Scholar Program, which concludes with a scholarship of $10,000 provided by the Wenatchee Sunrise Rotary Club. However, Aldo Vidal’s achievements went beyond the program’s requirements.
“He was struggling,” said his father, Jose Vidal. “I was in a dark place,” confirmed Aldo. “I was in a bad place for three and a half or four years.” Then came Danny Sapp, a paraprofessional at Eastmont, and Maribel Mendez, Eastmont’s Migrant Education Program Recruiter. After hearing about this opportunity, “Aldo came to our mind,” said Mendez. “We knew he’d be able to do it, as long as he felt supported.”
And he followed through. Aldo not only fulfilled the stipulations for the scholarship but also successfully completed 40 days at a rehabilitation center, joined Eastmont Opportunities Program (EOP), and graduated a month earlier than his peers in April of 2025. David Barshes, Aldo’s most recent mentor, congratulated Aldo during the award ceremony at Pybus Event center on Tuesday, August 12. “Aldo kicked it into high gear,” praised Barshes. “Every challenge he went through he pushed hard through,” said Mendez. Looking forward, Aldo hopes to become an electrician. “It’s time to move on in my life and see where it takes me.” His journey is a testament to how both our community and EOP give Eastmont students the support they need to succeed.
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