Mission Scholars, a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit that supports first-generation college students from high school through graduation, hosted its annual Glory Days event recently, bringing together students, alumni and supporters to celebrate what happens when a community invests in higher education.

The evening’s marquee announcement was a $75,000 matching grant, initiated by the John C. Mithun Foundation, Kirby-Jones Foundation, Tony & Kyra Rogers Foundation, and Laura and Kevin O’Connor.

The match is a rallying call to the broader community: every gift made in support of Mission Scholars’ students will be doubled, Mission Scholars said.

“Glory Days offered a living demonstration of what Mission Scholars is built on — the belief that opening doors to talented high schoolers transforms communities,” organizers said.

Speakers included board member Estefania Contreras, a first-generation UC Berkeley graduate; her sister Isabela, a University of Pennsylvania senior; and Wendy Benitez, a Breakthrough Scholar at NYU Stern. Both Isabela Contreras and Benitez are Mission Scholars. 

“Their stories are the reason we do this work,” said Katie Kinsella, director of Strategy, Programs & Impact. “They are powerful examples of what happens when the right support meets the right student, at the right time.”

Funds raised through Glory Days support Mission Scholars’ seven-year model, which provides college access programming, mentorship, and financial guidance to low-income students throughout the Santa Barbara area.

The celebration comes on the heels of major student achievements. Two Mission Scholars were recently named Edison Scholars — a $50,000 award given annually to 30 students from Southern California pursuing careers in STEM.

The broader cohort has earned acceptances to top-tier universities including UC Berkeley, Northwestern University, USC, UCLA, Amherst College, and Tufts University.