Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Please purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code.
Promotional Rates were found for your code.
Sorry, an error occurred.
do not remove
Representatives of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara greet each of the students receiving scholarships Thursday during a ceremony at the Santa Maria Fairpark.
Students gather at the Santa Maria Fairpark Convention Center Thursday for the North County Scholarship Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.
Representatives of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara greet each of the students receiving scholarships Thursday during a ceremony at the Santa Maria Fairpark.
Students gather at the Santa Maria Fairpark Convention Center Thursday for the North County Scholarship Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.
More than 600 people gathered at the Santa Maria Fairpark Convention Center Thursday to celebrate the academic accomplishments of local students during the North County Scholarship Awards Ceremony hosted by the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.
The event recognized hundreds of North County students receiving scholarships for the coming academic year — more than $7.7 million in scholarships was awarded to 2,225 students countywide, with $3.9 million going to students in North County.
Danna McGrew, board chair of the Scholarship Foundation, opened the ceremony with a speech emphasizing the value of education as a lifelong pursuit.
“The philosopher John Dewey once said, ‘Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself,’” McGrew stated. “If you remember nothing else from today’s ceremony, I ask that you please remember this: Each of you is on the cusp of receiving a great gift — the opportunity to discover your passions and define your interests.”
Joining the celebration were several local education leaders and public officials, including Antonio Garcia, superintendent of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, and Clara Finneran, superintendent of Lompoc Unified School District.
Melinda Cabrera, president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation, spoke to reporters before the event, saying “yesterday we had our South County awards ceremony, and this year we’ve awarded over $7.7 million to 2,225 students … we’re just excited to be part of their academic journey.”
The ceremony included each student walking across the stage, announcing their name and scholarship fund, and expressing gratitude to the donors.
“It’s important to note that 100% of the dollars we raise for scholarships come from our community,” Cabrera emphasized. “So this is truly made possible by the generosity of local donors — people who believe in the transformative power of education.”
Cabrera also spoke directly to those who make the opportunities possible: “The scholarships and financial support we provide are extremely impactful. But most importantly, they communicate to students that we believe in them— and that the community is behind them.”
As the event drew to a close, students were invited to participate in a group photo and a special drawing for nine $100 cash awards.
“Thank you to our donors — for believing in the power of education, for believing in our students, and for trusting the Scholarship Foundation on this journey,” Cabrera concluded.
For more information on the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, visit www.sbscholarship.org.
April Chavez is the Santa Maria City Reporter for the Santa Maria Times. If you have information, or a story idea that you would like to share, send her an email at AChavez@SantaMariaTimes.com.
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
