Three teenagers who lost a close friend to a violent death last year have channeled their grief into action, launching a scholarship fund in her memory that aims to support local students who have faced foster care, domestic violence or other serious hardships.
Marissa DiNapoli, 18, was reported missing in June 2025. Her body was found days later, the victim of a fatal stabbing. Martin Mendoza, her former boyfriend, has been charged with first-degree murder.
The Marissa DiNapoli Memorial Scholarship was founded by three of Marissa’s close friends—Jaslyn Gutierrez, Hailey Kissee and Kevin Magnuson, all 18 or 19 years old. The idea came from Magnuson, who now attends St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.
“I realized how helpful grants and scholarships are for people regardless of how much money they have or where they come from,” he said. “There’s plenty available to anyone from any background, so I figured why not create another one for those who aren’t as privileged?”
Kissee said the scholarship felt like a natural extension of who Marissa was and the kind of impact she had on the people around her.
“Marissa was always a light who walked into a room and uplifted everyone there,” she said. “If someone needed something, even just needed a smile, it was always Marissa who showed up. We needed something that would mean her name would never be forgotten. And if we can do one thing to make sure of that, it’s to continue what she always did: uplift others.”
Gutierrez said it was important to her that the scholarship specifically include students at Opportunity Youth Academy, the alternative school where she and Marissa graduated together in 2025.
“Those are the students that need the most help, especially when it comes to pursuing higher education,” Gutierrez said. “I made it a point that we needed to help the type of kids Marissa was going to school with, the ones she was friends with, the school she actually loved going to.”
The scholarship will benefit graduating seniors from four Morgan Hill-area schools: Central High School, Live Oak High School, Sobrato High School and Opportunity Youth Academy. It is administered in partnership with the Morgan Hill Unified Education Foundation. Students from Opportunity Youth Academy must be referred through the district.
Eligibility requirements are deliberately minimal: a 2.0 GPA, enrollment at one of the four schools, and two short personal essay responses of at least 350 words each. Applicants should have personal experience with the foster care system or domestic violence, or active advocacy on behalf of those who have.
“We want to benefit people who can’t go out and do all of the extra things that normal scholarships would require,” Kissee said.
Marissa had planned to enroll at Gavilan College, the same as Gutierrez, who said the two friends were supposed to begin their higher education journey together.
“Someone can now take her name with them to college,” Magnuson said, “and use that to push their academics further.”
The founders hope to award between three and five scholarships in their first distribution, depending on funds raised. Scholarship applications are due April 1, with recipients expected to be notified by April 30. A formal presentation will take place May 14—Marissa’s birthday.
Fundraising is already underway. The group has raised more than $1,100 since launching a month ago, with support from sponsors including The Dance Hall and Sobrato High School, whose student government is donating 10% of its March fundraiser to the scholarship.
Chipotle’s Morgan Hill location at 775 Cochrane Road will host a fundraiser Saturday, April 11, from 4-8pm, donating 25% of proceeds from sales during the event toward the scholarship.
“We just want to give it to as many people as we can,” Kissee said, invoking the scholarship foundation’s motto: “Your voice matters. Your work matters. And we’re proud to honor students like you who speak up when it’s needed most.”
More information, including how to apply or donate, is available on the scholarship’s website at marissadinapolimemorialscholarship.community/.
