Helen Gooch was a kind lady who gave many years of volunteer service to the Covina Public Library, and she believed in its value and importance in serving the entire community. In her honor, a generous donation from the Gooch family was given to the Friends of the Covina Public Library.

As a result, the Helen Gooch scholarship was established to encourage senior high school students who are part of the Covina District to pursue higher education as well as participate in the service and events the Covina Public Library has to offer.

The Helen Gooch Scholarship award amount is $400, and the recipients are one High School Senior from each of the following locations: Covina High School, Northview High School, South Hills High School and Fairvalley Continuation High School.

We are taking applications between February 18-March 18, 2026. All applications must be filled out completely and legibly, applications are available from your local high school counselor.

In addition to submitting the application for the Helen Gooch Scholarship, students are asked to compose an essay about the topic, "Discuss why it is important to have a library in the community."

The requirements for the essay are as follows:

-The essay is to be one page in length.

-The essay must be typed in size 12 pt font, Times New Roman, with 1 inch margins.

-The essay should be no more than 500 words.

- The essay must be submitted by email in PDF format to friendsofcovinalibrary@aol.com

We are looking forward to reading your essays, and we are eager to help out our leaders of tomorrow while honoring the legacy of Helen Gooch!