Academic record, strength of application essays, community service and personal qualities among scholarship criteria.
Nicole Betancourt NDP’26 and Alexander Apolonio NDP’26 earned the Ric Gonzalez Memorial Foundation Scholarship, which is awarded annually to deserving Hispanic youth in southeast Michigan planning to attend college or university.
Notre Dame Prep seniors Alexander Apolonio NDP’26 and Nicole Betancourt NDP’26 have been awarded a college scholarship sponsored by the Ric Gonzalez Memorial Foundation, joining a long list of Notre Dame Prep students who have earned the annual award.
The foundation, which since 2004 has been providing college scholarships to high school students in southeast Michigan, was formed after the passing of Ric Gonzalez, co-founder of automotive- and aerospace-supplier Gonzalez Design Group, based in Madison Heights.
According to the foundation, more than 200 scholarships totaling $818,000 have been awarded to date. Scholarship funds may be used at the college or university of each recipient’s choice and may be applied toward tuition, room and board, books and other necessary school supplies.
Since the scholarship was established, the Ric Gonzalez Memorial Foundation has supported deserving Hispanic youth in southeast Michigan planning to attend college or university. Applicants are evaluated on academic achievement, the strength of application essays, community service and personal qualities.
Last year, senior Jennifer Gaytan NDP’25 was named a scholarship recipient.
Apolonio, who plans to pursue a college education at Oakland University with an interest in architecture, credits his Hispanic heritage and his parents’ example for shaping his academic goals. The son of parents who did not have the opportunity to attend college, Apolonio said he hopes to “live that dream for them” through his own education. Working alongside his father in construction during the summers influenced both his career interests and his work ethic, giving him a firsthand understanding of the value of hard work and persistence.
At Notre Dame Prep, Apolonio has balanced academics with athletics, employment, clubs and volunteer service, including outreach to the homeless.
“I learned that hard work doesn’t come from what you earn, but from what you take the time to do and perfect,” he wrote in his essay as part of his scholarship application.
Betancourt, a Venezuelan American, said her parents’ sacrifices and commitment to education have guided her academic ambitions. Raised by two parents with engineering backgrounds, she grew up with a clear expectation to pursue higher education and make a positive impact through her career. Betancourt plans to study business and credits her parents’ encouragement and discipline for shaping her goals.
She recalled family dinners where her father would ask, “¿Qué aprendieron hoy?” (“What did you learn today?”) — a daily reminder of the importance of curiosity and lifelong learning. “The ability to strive for curiosity and succeed by putting in effort is something that I will never take for granted,” she wrote.
She said she was surrounded by a community of hardworking Hispanics and inspired by her parents’ perseverance.
“I have developed a deep ambition to continue learning, grow in every environment I enter, and change the landscape of any space I join through passion and dedication,” said Betancourt, who plans to attend Indiana University in the fall to study marketing..
More information about the Ric Gonzalez Memorial Foundation scholarship is available at the foundation’s website, www.rgmf.net, or by calling 248-548-3160.
