Thanks to generous donors past and present who funded $417,600 in scholarships this year, 47 students in Santa Cruz County are receiving awards for their freshman year in college.
The Community Foundation Santa Cruz County awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $20,000, with the total significantly surpassing the 2024 awards.
Over four decades, the Foundation has awarded over $2.6 million in scholarships to more than 500 students.
This year, 64% of awardees are first-generation college students, turning their parents’ and grandparents’ dreams of higher education into a reality.
The class of 2025 was the first to come into the post-COVID high school reality and weathered multiple climate disasters. But despite the instability they experienced, their commitment to their future never wavered.
The STEM fields were widely represented, as schools’ emphasis on math, science, and technology continued to inspire local youth to pursue careers in the hard sciences. Others heard the call to work for change through the social sciences, with numerous future government officials and immigration lawyers in the ranks. But almost all drew strength from the desire to honor their parents’ sacrifices.
“For many of these students,” says Kevin Heuer, director of community engagement & impact at the Community Foundation, “their driving motivation is to attain a higher level of education than their parents could. Although they face new challenges as federal policy changes continue to impact higher education, STEM research, and loan repayment programs, their perseverance and the generosity of community members will help them achieve their goals.”
Paula Rocha-Meza, recipient of the Hank Garcia Jr. Scholarship, is graduating from Aptos High School and heading to San Jose State University with plans to major in Public Health. Eventually, she wants to be a health care provider for the farmworker community.
She says, “attending college seemed almost impossible unless I got some additional support. Thankfully, there are resources like FAFSA and scholarships so I can have the opportunity to get a higher education.”
Emilio Sostenes-Flores, a Burton Scholarship recipient, is graduating from Watsonville High School and enrolling at UC San Diego. He is majoring in political science with the goals of becoming an immigration lawyer and one day holding public office to represent marginalized communities.
Emilio says, “I want to be become a congressman to represent Watsonville and people from all walks of life.”
Paying it Forward
These awards are made possible thanks to the rich history of local families contributing to young scholars’ success by giving to scholarship funds held at the Community Foundation. Donors have been inspired to give back to a school they loved, to support equitable access to opportunity, or to champion paths to education for working parents.
Born and raised in Santa Cruz County and a Watsonville High School graduate, Richard Crocker knows well the challenges some local families face in trying to achieve their educational goals.
“I worked hard to get an education and was the first in my family to get a college degree. I struggled to go to school, commute to SJSU, work 40-50 hours a week, and raise two kids,” Richard recounts.
Now, he is giving back to our community and wants to support others like him. In 2024, Richard and his wife started the Richard and Theresa Crocker Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation. The award is granted to local graduating high school seniors from any Santa Cruz County high school or any Cabrillo College student in good standing that’s interested in a trade or vocational education. Richard says, “I am gratified by the motivation of the students. To see the kids work so hard and strive for great lives through education is very important to us. The students go on to improve the community and the world around them!”
Yadira Melgoza is one of two students who received the award this year. Yadira is graduating from Pajaro Valley High School and will enroll in Cabrillo College’s Emergency Medical Technician program with the goal of becoming a paramedic. She was inspired by the first responders who helped her when she experienced a medical emergency.
Yadira says, “I want to be the first person to be there for someone when things get difficult for them. I want to be the helping hand that I had in my time of need.”
For 2025, there is the new Giles Family Scholarship, a four-year award given out to local students passionate about the arts, crafts, or music. The inaugural recipient is Maggie Machado, an Aptos High School senior enrolling at UC Santa Cruz. The inspired artist has had her work showcased with the Watsonville Brillante downtown mosaic project and wants to share her talents through the field of education.
•••
2025 Scholarships
BARBARA J. THOMPSON SCHOLARSHIP
- Amber Naccari, Santa Cruz High School (Sacramento State)
- Daniel Fernandez, Cabrillo College (University of Southern California)
- Makenna McIntyre, Delta Charter (Cabrillo College)
- Zara Duran, Soquel High School (UC Davis)
BERT AND CAROLYN POST SCHOLARSHIP
- Daniel Suarez-Alonso, Ceiba College Prep (UC Davis)
- Nelsy Cruz-Hernandez, Watsonville High School (CSU Monterey Bay
BOB AND BETSY DARROW SCHOLARSHIP
- Adriana Gonzales-Vasquez, Watsonville High School (San José State University)
- Alex Aparicio Hernandez, Harbor High School (San José State University)
BURTON SCHOLARSHIP
- Daniel Esqueda, Aptos High School (University of Southern California)
- Eden Hurtado, Watsonville High School (UC Davis)
- Emilio Sostenes-Flores, Watsonville High School (UC San Diego)
- Gabriel Lara-Hernandez, Watsonville High School (UC Davis)
- Janeth Marcos-Marcos, Watsonville High School (Santa Clara University)
- Mariza Duran-Santiago, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Davis)
- Wendy Melgoza-Zamora, Watsonville High School (UC Davis)
- Yasmin Salas, Watsonville High School (UC Santa Barbara)
- Zaida Garcia, Watsonville High School (UC Davis)
EMMETT AND ELSIE GEISER SCHOLARSHIP
- Berkeley Ashby, Aptos High School (UC San Diego)
- Gamble Kellermyer, Aptos High School (San Jose State)
- Valeria Guzman-Rocha, Watsonville High School (Santa Clara University)
ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOLARSHIP
- Jahiya Clark (UC Santa Cruz)
- Nautica Harriott Jones (UC Santa Cruz)
- Serena Barasi (UC Santa Cruz)
ERNEST V. COWELL SCHOLARSHIP
- Ramon Gimeno-Herrera, Aptos High School (UC Berkeley)
GILES FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP
- Margaret Machado, Aptos High School (UC Santa Cruz)
HANK GARCIA JR. AND FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP
- Angelica Bayuga, St. Francis High School (Loyola University)
- Carlos Vega, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Berkeley)
- Isabel Piccini, Monte Vista Christian School (University of San Diego)
- Mayda Juarez-Ortiz, Watsonville High School (Cabrillo College)
- Paula Rocha-Meza, Aptos High School (San Jose State)
ISABEL FOWLER SEWELL SCHOLARSHIP
- Angela Belmontes-Fernandez, Pajaro Valley High School (Santa Clara University)
- Jaice Williamson, San Lorenzo Valley High School (Indiana University)
- Jose Lopez, Watsonville High School (CSU Monterey Bay)
- Joselyn Leon-Gonzalez, Pajaro Valley High School (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo)
- Yasmin Alvarez Tamayo, Watsonville High School (UC Davis)
JOHN L. TURNER SCHOLARSHIP
- Jennifer Fernandez-Zamora, Watsonville High School (UC Davis)
JUDY ANTON WOMAN OF VALOR / LUPITA LOVES TO READ PROJECT SCHOLARSHIP
- Adriana Reyes (Cabrillo College)
LAURA SEGURA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
- Gloria Armenta (Cabrillo College)
- Natasha Martinez (Cabrillo College)
LOUIS J. AND MARY ELLEN SCHULTZ SCHOLARSHIP
- Tamanna Khatri, Harbor High School (UC Santa Barbara)
MATT’S CLIMB CAMP TUITION
- Bradley Locatelli, Cypress Charter High School
R.H. BEEL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
- Mariana Orountiotis-Kelly, Santa Cruz High School (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo)
RICHARD AND THERESA CROCKER SCHOLARSHIP
- Isela Ramirez (Cabrillo College)
- Ruben Canchola-Jimenez (Cabrillo College)
- Yadira Melgoza, Pajaro Valley High School (Cabrillo College)
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY ENDOWMENT SCHOLARSHIP
- Dylan Hermanson, Santa Cruz High School (UC Santa Cruz)
SIMUNOVICH FAMILY AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIP
- Diego Romero-Avalos, Watsonville High School (CSU Monterey Bay)
•••
For info visit: www.cfscc.org/scholarships
