Support Rooted in Community: The Mariposa Scholarship

The Mariposa Scholarship is helping open doors for students in School District 197—providing financial support and encouragement as they begin planning for life after high school.

Funded by the Mary Kay and Ron Nelson Charitable Fund, the scholarship was created in 2022 to give back to a community the Nelson family has called home for more than 50 years and to support students in pursuing post-secondary education. The scholarship is open to students who have attended Garlough Environmental Magnet School, Heritage E-STEM Magnet School, and Two Rivers High School—the three schools that Mary Kay and Ron’s daughters Kristy DePaulis and Becky Jacobson attended.

The name “Mariposa,” which means butterfly in Spanish, came from a family conversation. One grandchild suggested "butterfly," a favorite of their late grandmother, and another proposed using the Spanish word to reflect the community’s cultural diversity.

The Nelson family remains closely involved, with Kristy and Becky helping lead the effort and connect with students. Each year, five juniors are selected, and each is awarded $20,000. The 2025 nominees include Leyda Alvarenga Mejia, Rory Shuler, Margaret Smith, Regis Jones, and Kaz Resendiz Berg—students with goals ranging from pediatric nursing and engineering to athletics and the arts.

"This is an amazing opportunity for our students, and we are so grateful for the investment this scholarship makes in our scholars.  It is inspiring to see the impact of this scholarship as our students plan for their future." - Dr. Jessica Cabak, Principal