The SBCC Foundation awarded over $1 million in scholarships to 742 SBCC students for the 2020 – 2021 academic year.
“We are proud of these students who have pursued their educational goals during a very difficult year, and grateful to all of the generous donors who have invested in our community’s college and its students,” said Geoff Green, CEO of the SBCC Foundation.
The President’s Scholarship and the Towbes/Luria STEM Achievement Scholarship were among those awarded; the two $10,000 multi-year awards are the top prizes available through the Foundation.
Kristine Sanchez is this year’s recipient of the President’s Scholarship, one of SBCC’s most prestigious honors.
The scholarship, endowed through the estates of Janet and Eugene Aiches and by the Luria Foundation, recognizes an “outstanding” student who has demonstrated service to others, academic and personal achievement, leadership, resilience in the face of hardship, and potential for future success.
“As a first-generation student, it has always been my dream to be able to earn my degree and be able to help my family and myself throughout life. Winning this award means that I can fund my education without any fear or doubt holding me back,” said Sanchez.
She will be transferring to CSU Fullerton this fall to continue her studies in kinesiology with an emphasis on strength and conditioning.
Engineering major Alison Day is the first recipient of the Towbes/Luria STEM Achievement Scholarship. The new award, supported by Carrie Towbes and Kandy Luria-Budgor (through the Luria Foundation), recognizes a standout student in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) discipline.
“This scholarship is immensely valuable as I prepare for the next chapter of my educational journey. I’m excited to pursue my degree at Stanford in environmental systems engineering, which has been my dream for a long time,” Day said.
While at SBCC, Day also worked at the WELL on campus, helping students find community and support while addressing mental and holistic wellness.
As a STEM student, Day dealt with and observed the high stress of needing to perform at a high level in order to succeed in challenging courses, and encouraged her peers to find the support they needed to succeed, too.
This experience was a significant part of her growth at SBCC, and the WELL provided a home base on campus with a community of caring individuals. Over the past year, Day has also served as the team lead for a research project through the UCSB-Smithsonian Scholars Program.
Selection committees composed of campus faculty, staff, and administration reviewed applications for the general scholarships and voted on recipients. Both the Towbes/Luria and President’s Scholarships required finalists to participate in a round of interviews via Zoom before selections were made.
Another bright spot in scholarship news is the Thatcher Foundation’s increased support of its Nursing Program Award, which covers the full cost of attendance (fees, books, uniforms, tuition) for 10 students transferring from the Vocational Nursing Program to the Associates Degree in Nursing Program.
Completion of the program was recently extended from two semesters to three, with the Thatcher Foundation now stepping in to cover the cost of the entire three semesters.
The SBCC Foundation has provided Santa Barbara City College with private philanthropic support since 1976, serving as the vehicle through which individuals and organizations may invest in the college and its students.
As an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization and partner to SBCC, the SBCC Foundation awards more than $5 million annually for student success programs, scholarships, book grants, emergency funds, and other critical needs of the college. For more information, visit http://www.sbccfoundation.org.