Student Mirrella Bautista is ‘Scholarship America’s Dream Award’ Finalist, Will Appear on the Katie Couric Show

University of La Verne family and friends will be tuning in to Katie Couric’s Show, Katie, on KABC channel 7, this Friday, May 23 at 3 p.m..  That is because La Verne junior Mirrella Bautista,  who is double majoring in education and political science, is going to be among those featured on the popular afternoon show as one of handful of college students selected as a finalist for the Scholarship America’s Dream Award.

As a finalist she is being flown to New York by the Katie show.  Couric, who kicked off the Dream Award with a $350,000 donation, has since garnered more than 50 other supporters to step forward to help establish the brand new scholarship.   It’s a unique scholarship in that it’s not for just a single year.  It is a national multi-year performance-based scholarship fund targeted toward incentivizing and helping students complete their education.

Selected from a national pool of applicants, Bautista applied in October, and recently learned that she was a finalist.

“It was a big surprise, especially when they said they were going to fly all of the finalists out to New York to be on Katie Couric’s show.  I still can’t believe it, I’m so excited—I think it will hit me when I’m in New York,” Bautista exclaimed.  “I’m looking forward to meeting the other finalists from around the country, and especially look forward to meeting Katie Couric, she’s a really great person.”

The nationally-syndicated talk show hosts’ staff has been checking in with Bautista regularly, to see how she is doing and to see how finals are coming along. Bautista’s dedication as a student shines through, as she plans to study for finals during this unique adventure.

“I fly out on Wednesday, tape the show on Thursday, and will be back at La Verne later that evening so that I make it in time for my class finals on Friday morning at 7am.  I’ll be studying while I’m in New York,” said Bautista.

The scholarship winner will be selected on national television Friday.