RHS senior a Daniels Scholarship recipient

Riverside High School senior Guadalupe Jiminez is among 28 Wyoming students recently selected for the 2025 Daniels Fund Scholarship. 

Guadalupe, daughter of Maria and Juan Jiminez, will use the funds to cover her full tuition at the University of Wyoming. She is debating a double major, with the options of natural resource conservation, rangeland management and ag business in the running. 

“I don’t think I could really pick one over the other. I have a hard time making decisions and I think I’m better off doing both,” Guadalupe said. 

Guadalupe has been an avid FFA member since eighth grade, competing in farm business management and parliamentary procedure. She has also been a member of FBLA, Art Club and Gear Up. 

She cited FFA Advisor Ashley Spatz as a major contributor to her education; in her senior year, Guadalupe is taking three of Spatz’s classes. 

“[Spatz] pushed me to go out of my comfort zone and she always had high expectations for me, but she also helped guide me through this, she really helped me a lot with the Daniels Fund,” Guadalupe said. 

When the Jiminez family moved to Wyoming from Washington, Guadalupe was 7 years old. Her father is a farmhand with a dairy farmer background, and the family is heavily involved in agriculture.

“My parents have always really pushed education on me,” Guadalupe said. “They didn’t really have a chance to pursue education after high school.”

Juan Jiminez has worked with local ranching family, the Fosses. Sterling Foss was a 2019 Daniels Fund Scholar, and that connection helped Guadalupe navigate the process of applying, interviewing and receiving the scholarship. Catherine Foss coached Guadalupe, and Sterling provided insights through his own experiences. 

“If I didn’t know them, I would have probably not done so well because I had somebody that already went through the process to help me out, it was really, really nice. Both of them really took the time to help me get to where I am today,” Guadalupe said. 

She also thanked P.E. teacher Calvin Brown and her brother Jose Jiminez for getting her into fishing, which ended up being a part of one of her Daniels Fund essays. 

Guadalupe hoped that whatever path she chooses, she will still enjoy her job in 40 years and be excited to work hard. 

“I’m definitely glad I live here.  I really like the environment and the people. I really enjoy the farm and ranch life,” Guadalupe said. 

“I think I’ll probably end up staying in Wyoming ... I don’t think I want to move far away.”