Over
the past six years, The Ed. Fund has given out $450,000 in
scholarships. Here are profiles of some of our past scholarship
winners. If you are a high school student with questions about the
scholars' colleges or their college experience, contact The Ed. Fund
and we will direct you to them. Email The Ed. Fund at scholarships@edfundwest.org
Class of 2012
| Scholar
Information |
About Me |
|---|---|
 High School: Pinole Valley High School University: University of Southern California Major: Film Production |
I feel so blessed for being able to go to as a great a school as USC, and following my passion of making films that inspire people. I’m proud of what I’ve done so far in college, and I have a lot more planned for the rest of my time at USC! I’ve made wonderful friendships and memories that I know will last for a lifetime! Undoubtedly, there are many financial pressures that come with higher education – for supporting me with this hardship, I give all my thanks to The West Contra Costa County Ed. Fund. I am so grateful for all of your economic (and moral) support throughout my college career. I strive to be someone you, and the rest of the world, can be proud of. |
 Name: Donna High School: El Cerrito High School University: Brown University Major: Psychology and Education Studies |
I am currently in my third
year at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and I am amazed at
how fast my time in college has passed by. In the last couple of years,
I have been challenged academically and pushed to think on a higher
level. While it has been difficult to go to school so far from home, I
have no regrets. Going to Brown has made me a more independent person
and has exposed me to many opportunities, such as conducting research
with a leading child development researcher and teaching Chemistry to
middle schoolers in a six-week summer program. In the spring of 2011, I
will be studying abroad in Paris where I will be taking classes at the
Sorbonne. After graduating from college, I plan to pursue a career in
education. |
Class of 2013
| Scholar
Information |
About
Me |
|---|---|
 High School: Richmond High School College: Contra Costa College Major: Physics |
I wish to transfer from Contra Costa College to either the University of California, Berkeley or California State University, Chico as a physics major. I have always been interested in the way the universe works and I believe with physics I can explore those interests even further. I am particularly interested in how particles interact and electromagnetism. I hope to one day conduct cutting edge research in any one of those two fields of physics. |
 High School: Kennedy High School University: California State University, Sacramento Major: Psychology |
I am currently in my
second year of college and I really love the experiences that I have
been involved in. Not only has college allowed me to pursue my
educational goals in psychology, but I have learned through my
selection of classes that I love ethnic studies and studio art, which
are now my minors. My favorite part of college is all of the new things you are introduced to. I love taking different GE classes on subjects I'm interested in or want to know more about, campus events like cultural movies or plays, and identifying with college life in general. It's comforting to know that most of us there for the same goals, struggle the same hardships, and receive the same awards. College is definitely different from high school, but each institution has helped me grow tremendously in different ways. Getting this far wasn't easy, but it's more than worth it to be in the place that I am now. |
 High School: Leadership Public School University: UC Merced Major: Spanish Literature and Cultures |
I now stand on the road to
the goals and aspirations that I have created for myself. Since I came
to this country at a young age, I knew that there were many things I
wanted to do in life in order to succeed. One of them was to
attend college and become a professional in a career I would enjoy.
Along the way I confronted many inner and outer challenges that I felt
would obstruct my path. However, within me there was never that option
of giving up. Now as I look back at all that I have achieved and as I
see the many more challenges which await me, I know that I have come a
long way and I can continue to do much more. If God allows me, I am
sure that in the future I can be able to graduate from college and move
on to graduate school. I hope to become a professor in the
literature department and be able to help other students attend college
because any student is capable of making it through college when given
the opportunity to do so. |
Class of 2014
| Scholar
Information |
About Me |
|---|---|
 High School: Richmond High School University: Santa Clara University Major: Civil Engineering |
My biggest accomplishment
so far has been being a part of Santa Clara University’s Class of 2014.
The years I had spent doing my homework and doing my best to get the
best grades possible paid off when I had been accepted to my first
choice. My first quarter at SCU has been incredible. I am an only
child, so I was used to having my own room and being alone most of my
time. Now, I live with 5 other girls, and I am rarely alone. I have the
liberty to do whatever I want, but I am aware that I will be the only
one responsible of my actions. I plan to graduate with a degree in
Civil Engineering and continue on taking advantage of the education I
am lucky to have. |
 High School: Pinole Valley High School University: Azusa Pacific University Major: Undeclared |
I'm a freshman at Azusa
Pacific University in southern California, and I'm loving college life
there. The independence and great friends that go along with dorm life
balance the challenging, invigorating classes and studies. My school
has an amazing sense of community and purpose which was what initially
grabbed my interest and what ultimately made me decide to go there. I
definitely feel I'm in the right place. My goals for college include studying abroad and using my studies for more than simply providing myself a source of income. I'm currently exploring a major in math or science, taking classes such as calculus II and computer science. I'm excited to see what I learn in and outside the classroom apply to my life, how I can use it to solve problems and benefit others. |
 High School: Richmond High School University: Santa Clara University Major: Computer Engineering |
My journey as an AB 540
student has been quite different from most students. This story began 8
years ago in a northern state of Mexico, when I was 11 my family and I
left everything we loved in order to find an opportunity to a better
life in the US. Adapting to the new culture was tough, but it was even
tougher preserving my native roots because I came to realize that my
Latino culture is not yet fully understood and accepted across the
country. Regardless of feeling trapped at instances, my values, family,
friends and teachers gave me the strength to succeed all 4 years in
high school and become the top male student in Richmond High.
Performing well in my academic work allowed me to select the college to
I wanted to attend, but far beyond from that due to my immigration
status, securing financial support was my greatest challenge and still
is to this day. It took me a great amount of will to accept the fact
that I was different from everyone else, but fighting for my education
rather than sobbing in despair is the reason why today I am able to say
that I am a college student and a prospective engineer, just like
everyone else. |