Celebrating 34 Students Who Shine Bright in Santa Cruz County

When the COVID pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, this year’s class of graduating seniors were in the middle of their sophomore year. Of their four-year high school career, almost half of it was through distance or hybrid learning. And yet this year’s awardees still excelled in class, volunteered in the community, played sports when they could, participated in clubs and extracurricular activities, and worked paying jobs to help their families make ends meet.

Staying Focused During COVID

“This year’s scholarship awardees stood out for how they stayed focused on their dream for college while also navigating extraordinary challenges of life during the pandemic,” says Susan True, Community Foundation CEO. “They volunteered hundreds of hours at food pantries and as climate stewards. They advocated for their own and their peers’ mental health. They founded clubs to help each other through grief and to build community among other first-generation college students. And they had fun–as music aficionados, costume designers, dancers, knitters, artists, actors, and standout athletes.”

Three-quarters of the awardees are first-generation college students, turning their parents’ and grandparents’ dreams of higher education into a reality. Among them are future teachers, engineers, computer scientists, biomedical researchers, physicians, and nurses. And every single one of them is focused on giving back to the next generation in gratitude for their own mentors and parents who aided their success.

Renewing Support

This year, 55 college students were awarded renewals to their Community Foundation scholarships. Among them was Bethany López Rojas, winner of the 2020 Lillian Burton Scholarship, which is an award of up to $5,000 annually, renewable for two consecutive years.

Bethany graduated from Soquel High in 2020 and just finished her second year at Dominican University of California where she is on a pre-med track with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. Bethany reports that she’s thriving in college, especially now that classes are in person! She and a few of her peers recently formed a mental health club on campus to help others feel supported and safe at school. She also makes sure to volunteer in the community, recently working on a project to obtain street lights to increase resident safety in a low-income neighborhood near campus.

Bethany is so grateful for the ongoing support. She says, “It has opened doors to higher education and it’s allowed me to focus more on school where I feel supported in my education and personal goal. Without this scholarship, I could not be where I am today.”

Caring for Future Generations

“This community has a rich history of families caring for the future by establishing scholarship funds. It dates back to Henry Cowell’s family, to donors inspired by the movement for racial equity, to siblings honoring their parents’ dedication to teaching. It’s an honor to work with the people and families helping Santa Cruz County be a place where all generations can thrive,” says Julie Haff, President of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and retired superintendent of San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District.

Meet the 34 local students who received scholarships through Community Foundation Santa Cruz County in 2022.

ALPERT SHARING FUND SCHOLARSHIP
Angel Soto, Watsonville High School (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo)

JUDY ANTON WOMAN OF VALOR / LUPITA LOVES TO READ PROJECT SCHOLARSHIP
Mariah Segura, Watsonville High School (UC Davis)

R.H. BEEL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Yazmin Diaz, Santa Cruz High School (Pace University)

BURTON SCHOLARSHIP
Peyton Croghan, St. Francis High School (UC Davis)
Arlette Del Toro, Watsonville High School (UC Davis)
Daniel Espinoza, Harbor High School (UC Los Angeles)
Haley Jiang, Harbor High School (UC Los Angeles)
Marissa Mengheang, Harbor High School (Stanford University)

ERNEST V. COWELL SCHOLARSHIP
Arden Emhoff, Santa Cruz High School (UC Los Angeles)

BOB AND BETSY DARROW SCHOLARSHIP
Sophia Clemente, St. Francis High School (Santa Monica Community College)
Rossy Hernandez, Harbor High School (CSU Monterey Bay)
Alicia Krusee, San Lorenzo Valley High School (University of Arizona)

JACK DEBORD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Abby Lahey, San Lorenzo Valley High School (CSU Monterey Bay)

HANK GARCIA JR. AND FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP
Mandy LaMere, St. Francis High School (University of Southern California)
Danna Perez, Watsonville High School (Cabrillo College)
Diana Rocha, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Los Angeles)
Melissa Roman, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Berkeley)
Wade Watson, Aptos High School (UC Santa Cruz)

EMMETT AND ELSIE GEISER SCHOLARSHIP
Betzaida Chavez, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Santa Barbara)
Jaylen Dang, Aptos High School (University of San Francisco)
Isaak Vargas, Watsonville High School (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo)

ISABEL FOWLER SEWELL SCHOLARSHIP
Sofia Fernandez, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Santa Cruz)
Cynthia Lopez-Fernandez, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Santa Cruz)
Ariana Ramirez-Chavez - Pajaro Valley High School (UC Berkeley)
Aileen Adela Lomeli - Pajaro Valley High School (UC Santa Cruz)
Jesus Angel Avalos-Regalado, Pajaro Valley High School (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo)

BERT AND CAROLYN POST SCHOLARSHIP
Valeria Felix, Watsonville High School (Cabrillo College)

LOUIS J. AND MARY ELLEN SCHULTZ SCHOLARSHIP
Jackeline Barrientos, Harbor High School (UC Los Angeles)

SIMUNOVICH FAMILY AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIP
Miguel Sanchez-Ramirez, Watsonville High School (CSU Monterey Bay)

BARBARA J. THOMPSON SCHOLARSHIP
Mackenzie Hearon, Harbor High School (Cabrillo College)
Morgyn Michelson, Harbor High School (UC Los Angeles)
Zulma Ramirez-Ortega, Harbor High School (UC Los Angeles)
Joel Sosa-Udave, Harbor High School (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo)

JOHN L. TURNER SCHOLARSHIP
Ashley Mazon, Watsonville High School (UC San Diego)