Alex Lopez

“I have a very strong support group and they have always pushed me. I have always pushed myself too,” Grand Valley freshman Alex Lopez said. This commitment and drive have recently been honored, as Lopez received the Reverend Dennis and E. Jean McMurray Academic Achievement Scholarship for the 2010-2011 school year.

The scholarship, established by the McMurrays to benefit graduates of Ottawa Hills High School, helps students who might have average grades but often have to make heroic efforts to attend school and achieve.

Lopez is the kind of student the McMurrays are trying to help. Throughout his high school career, he faced many obstacles – including a probation officer and a peer group that lacked motivation. However, Lopez knew that he could be different.

“I just told myself, I can’t follow in the same footsteps. I can’t be doing what others are doing – I’ve got to change all that,” he said.

Change is exactly what Lopez did – as he turned his high school career around and graduated in the top ten of his class. Today he is enjoying life as a college freshman and hopes that his efforts will inspire a new generation of students like himself.

“I guess it’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was younger,” he said. “I want to help kids that are going through some of the same things I went through.”