Celeste Jones
Growing up in a rural environment, Fresno State student Celeste Jones developed a deep appreciation for nature that has fueled her passion for environmental service. Through Alternative Spring Break, she has worked to restore trails, maintain learning areas and establish a long-term partnership with Scout Island, ensuring future generations of students can experience and appreciate the outdoors.
Jones was announced as this year’s recipient of the Albert Montejano Memorial Scholarship, recognizing one or more students engaged in community service through the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning at Fresno State. The scholarship was endowed by the family of Montejano, an alumnus of California State University, Los Angeles who spent his life serving others until his death in 2021. He dreamed of establishing a scholarship to help others attend college.
Jones, a fourth-year media mass communications and journalism student, has maintained a 4.0 GPA while making a lasting impact through her service leadership roles.
Jones has served as a Richter Center Student Leader for Alternative Spring Break, a program providing students with multi-day service opportunities during traditional breaks from school, at Scout Island for two years. Her leadership has strengthened the program’s sustainability, providing students with meaningful opportunities to contribute to environmental preservation beyond her time at Fresno State.
Beyond her work with Alternative Spring Break, Jones serves as the executive board director of communications for Richter Center Student Leaders, a role in which she has developed promotional materials, written press releases and implemented communication strategies to expand student involvement in volunteer opportunities.
Her leadership extends to her volunteer work with the Women’s Alliance, where she supports various initiatives aimed at empowering women on campus and in the community.
Three additional Fresno State students also received scholarship support:
Alisa Gonzalez
Alisa Gonzalez, a sophomore biochemistry student, has served at the Marjaree Mason Center, West African Vocational Schools, Alternative Spring Break, Fall Fest, Veterans Home, the 144th Fighter Wing Children’s Christmas Party and the Fresno Tzu Chi Mobile Clinic.
Rachel Mancebo, a senior agriculture education student, has served with Alternative Spring Break for the past three years, the State Holstein Convention, SpiritHorse Connections, Maui Wildfire Relief Effort Read-a-thon, Madera FFA and at the Central California Blood Center.
Emily Vang, a junior communicative sciences and deaf studies student, has served with Stone Soup Fresno during Alternative Spring Break and at multiple one-day service events. She is the education co-chair of Fresno State’s Hmong Student Association, a role in which she plans and hosts a three-day conference promoting higher education and the Hmong culture for highschoolers. She also is a tutor with StepUp.
The Albert Montejano Memorial Scholarship helps students bridge the gap between the financial aid assistance they currently receive and the amount they need to attend college. Funds provided by the Albert Montejano Memorial Scholarship recognizes and supports their service to our campus and community.
During the 2023-24 academic year, more than 4,200 Fresno State students participated in 198 service-learning courses – helping the university provide over 1 million hours of service to the community for the 15th straight year.
(Story by Taylan Parker, Richter Center)
