Santa Cruz County came together March 31s to celebrate the youth and the community’s investment in them at the annual Your Future is Our Business (YFIOB) luncheon. Many Santa Cruz County students, educators, parents and sponsors attended.
YFIOB Executive Director Yvette Brooks (left) and Board Member Amy Nema (right) awarded one of the winning Showcase Scholarships to the Aptos High School team for their video entry. From Left: Kenzie Smith, Monreve Maguire, Carina Kessler.
Last year, YFIOB served more than 2,000 students county-wide. This year, in just the first quarter, that number has already been exceeded. The success of this event could not have been achieved without the support of the sponsors and attendees.
Twenty-two students were awarded scholarships that ranged from $200 to $1,000.
Yvette Lopez Brooks, executive director of YFIOB, expressed gratitude for the community’s support, saying, “We really could not do it without you. Your support has made it possible for us to reach even more students this year.”
Rosemary Menard, water director of the City of Santa Cruz, received an award of appreciation for her exceptional leadership during the 2022 Construction Trades Day. Menard’s guidance and direction were instrumental in the event’s success.
Harbor High Booth
The Your Future is Our Business luncheon was a celebration of the youth and the community’s investment in them. The event was made possible by the support of sponsors who invest in the future of Santa Cruz County students.
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Career Exploration Scholarship
- Charles (Charlie) Benham, Oasis High
- Nevaeh Karraker, Harbor High
- Averie Young, Cypress High
- Natalia Galdamez Mijango, Harbor High
- Elana McGrew, Santa Cruz High
CTE Scholarship
- Isabella Chavez-Guerrero, Watsonville High
- Saul Cruz, Costanoa High
- Kenneth (Corbin) C. Kronschnabl, Diamond Tech
- Charlie Figueroa, Costanoa High
- Nathaniel Dow, Aptos High
- Perla Patricia Valentin, Harbor High
- Eva Carrillo, Harbor High
- Justy Olvera-Serna, Costanoa High
Luncheon Showcase Winners
- 9th Grade — Mauricio Calderon-Luis, Harbor High
- 10th Grade — Mary Henderson, Soquel High
- 11th Grade — Calvin Lenz-Parton, Harbor High
- 12th Grade — Corvinrook Champion, Scotts Valley High
- Honorable Mention — Kenzie Smith, Aptos High; Carina Kessler, Aptos High; Monreve Maguire, Aptos High
Board Members
- David Wright, VP of Operations at Elements Manufacturing
- Cristine Chopra, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz County College and Career Collaborative.
- Nicole Correa, Bay Federal Credit Union
- Elaine Johnson, Santa Cruz County Neighborhood Courts Program
- Kevin Painchaud, Photojournalist
- David Lee, Assistant Professor of Computational Media at UC Santa Cruz
- Michael Marheineke, Retired
- Hayley Mears, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, workforce development program manager
- Amy Nama, Graniterock, Environmental Services Administrator
- Nisha Patel, Deputy Director of Personnel at County of Santa Cruz
- Murry Schekman, Teacher, San Jose State University
- Carol Siegel, Director of the After School Day Care, Inc, Campus Kids Connection, Inc,
- Margie Whiting Sisk, Owner, Whiting’s Foods
- Jane Iana Kostina, Diriscoll’s, Strawberry Breeder
- Leslie DeRose, Cabrillo College CTE Coordinator
- Dante Searcy, Human Resources Generalist for Joby Aviation
- Pamela Price, Cardiovascular Critical Care Nurse
- Thomas Sage Pedersen, CEO of Everyone’s Music School
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Sponsors: Santa Cruz County Office of Education, Bay Federal Credit Union, Construction Industry Education Foundation, Santa Cruz City Schools, San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, Live Oak School District, Graniterock, Shadowbrook Restaurant, Mary Gaukel, County of Santa Cruz, Beckmann’s Bakery, Pacific Cookie Company, Deluxe Foods
Raffle Donors: Boardwalk, Bookshop Santa Cruz
Top Photo: Your Future is Our Business Board Members David Wright and Elaine Johnson with the CTE Scholarship Awards Winners