Scholarship Helps Student Pursue Her Goals

UNLV freshman Alina Zinchenko’s parents had many dreams for their daughter when they emigrated from Russia in 2001.

“My family moved to the United States for the diverse opportunities available in this free country,” said Zinchenko. “Most importantly, my parents wanted to give me a better future.”

For Zinchenko, that future included her strong desire for learning and the arts. 

“Soon after beginning high school, I realized that I have hundreds of opportunities to choose from in this country,” said Zinchenko. “That is when I understood that education is the key to fulfilling my dreams.”

Zinchenko graduated this spring from Las Vegas Academy. She hoped to pursue a degree in architecture, but her family could not afford the rising costs of education.    

“I was planning on using student loans and perhaps getting a job to finance my education,” said Zinchenko.

Then she received a call from Ivana Goga, the scholarship coordinator for the College of Fine Arts, who told Zinchenko about the Cynthia Bunker/Joy McClenahan Memorial scholarship. Each year the scholarship awards eight College of Fine Arts students with funding to pay for much of their annual tuition.    

“This scholarship has been and continues to be a tremendous financial help for the talented students of the College of Fine Arts,” said Goga. “Many of them wouldn’t have been able to graduate and show all their academic potential without this scholarship.”

As one of this year’s recipients, Zinchenko will enter her freshman year without the daunting chore of paying for school.

“The Cynthia Bunker/Joy McClenahan Memorial Scholarship opened many doors for me, offering the great opportunity of partially financing my education at UNLV,” said Zinchenko, who has enrolled in the architecture program. “I am extremely grateful for this miracle because it will help me succeed in life.”
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