The International Student Association broke out the chips and salsa on March 25 to celebrate the Mexican-themed ninth annual International Student Scholarship Banquet.

The banquet was created nine years ago to award one international student with an F-1 visa based on financial need, academic excellence and cultural awareness in the community.

“We ask the applicants to write a short essay that states their experience living in a certain culture and exhibiting their own cultural background to the community,” said Hee Joong “PK” Kim, ISA president and management senior.

All the proceeds from the banquet and other ISA fundraising activities go towards the International Scholarship Fund.

This year’s recipient of the $1,000 scholarship was forensic chemistry junior Inna Dizon. Dizon had applied for the same scholarship the year before, and was surprised to have won it on her second attempt.

“I didn’t think I was going to get it this time around too, because I had that feeling that the other applicants were really strong candidates as well. So being picked among a pool of strong candidates was surreal,” Dizon said.

Apart from being recognized for spreading cultural awareness around Loyola and for her academic excellence, the scholarship will help Dizon and her family financially.

“This scholarship means a lot to me because, one, it’s really awesome to be able to help my parents with finances, since the Philippine peso to dollar exchange isn’t too good,” Dizon said.

“It made me really happy that I could at least somehow lighten the load for my parents. It’s the least I could do after they’ve worked tirelessly to keep me in an American university,” Dizon said.

Angie Hernandez can be reached at [email protected]