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More than 400 guests gathered Friday in recognition of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara’s 52nd year of helping support Santa Barbara County students in their pursuit of college, graduate and vocational education.
The annual Community Leaders Luncheon celebrating donors, sponsors, board members, community leaders, students and guests was held at The Fess Parker.
“We are proud to enjoy generous support from outstanding community donors and leaders,” said outgoing executive director Colette Hadley, who is stepping down after more than 20 years with the foundation to be closer to family in Los Angeles and Orange County.
“This luncheon provides an opportunity to bring them together to appreciate them.”
The Scholarship Foundation encourages and supports students who are motivated to achieve a higher-education degree.
Support from the Scholarship Foundation reached 2,748 county students in 2014, with scholarship awards totaling $8.6 million in student aid. Since 1962, the Scholarship Foundation has provided more than 37,600 scholarships totaling $87.6 million for county students through financial aid, advising and scholarships.
Foundation board president Janet Garufis, president and CEO of Montecito Bank & Trust, welcomed the audience with words of appreciation and gratitude, along with this year’s philanthropist spotlight speakers, Roger Whalen and Julie Whalen Schuetz; community leader speaker Frederick W. Gluck; and student guest speaker Ivan Lucatero Sanchez, a 2014 graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“From our parents, my siblings and I learned how to thoughtfully lend our time, skills and talents, and financial gifts to causes with which we felt a personal connection,” Whalen Schuetz said. “For me, that connection was strongest with the Scholarship Foundation.”
Past community leader speakers have included an impressive array of locals, such as Ron Gallo (2013), Angel Martinez (2012), Hubert Vos (2011), Dick Schall (1997) and Michael Towbes (1990).
Sanchez was born in Mexico and immigrated with his family to New Cuyama at the crossroads of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Kern and Ventura counties, to the agriculture town where his father farmed peaches, carrots, onions and alfalfa.
His mother received a vocational school degree for administrative work and his father’s education stopped at sixth grade in order to help sustain his family’s needs.
“I never saw myself as a farmer though, because I was more intrigued about how the machines we used worked than the results they gave,” Sanchez said. “In high school is when I was trying to figure out what I was going to be when I grew up.”
Sanchez and his sisters found it difficult at times to bridge the gap with his parents’ limited education and language challenges but they were able to achieve their goals.
“Our lives are now much different than that of our cousins who are still in Mexico,” Sanchez said. “We are able to pursue our dreams and truly do what we are passionate about.
“One of the main reasons for my success in following this tough career path is because of the support I received from scholarships such as the ones I was awarded through the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.”
After graduating as valedictorian from his high school, Sanchez chose to attend a community college, Allan Hancock, rather than going directly to a four-year university to ease the transition. He soon was accepted into one of Cal Poly’s most selective majors, aerospace engineering.
His achievements also included winning a highly competitive internship with NASA that altered his career trajectory.
“One of the projects I worked on was to send fruit flies into space in enclosures with GoPro cameras to monitor their behavior aboard the International Space Station,” Sanchez said. “I was fascinated by the idea of sending something to space, and decided to choose astronautics over aeronautics.”
Sanchez next received an internship with Lockheed Martin that became a full-time job after he completed his bachelor’s degree. He also plans to attend graduate school for a well-rounded exposure to all aspects of the aerospace industry.
“I love how challenging my work is, and feel proud when my coworkers joke about how it’s only rocket science,” Sanchez remarked.
Hadley, was honored for 22 years of service with a touching video featuring words of gratitude from past board members, community leaders and philanthropists who thanked her for her many years of contribution.
“College accessibility and affordability remains a challenge for local students and their families,” Hadley said. “With the loyal support of our community we continue to provide educational opportunities to young people from Santa Barbara County.”
Tuition and fees at public four-year colleges have increased at an average annual rate of 6 percent beyond inflation in the past 10 years, and the foundation’s mission has resulted in the largest community-based program in the United States to help bridge this gap.
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara does not charge an administrative fee, and 100 percent of contributions to support scholarships go directly to deserving students.
Tax-deductible gifts to the Scholarship Foundation from individuals, businesses, families, community groups and foundations are used to fund named scholarships, annual scholarships or endowed scholarship funds.
“After all this time, I still feel deeply moved when I hear from the students we help,” Schuetz said. “What strikes me most is hearing so many of them say, ‘I didn’t think I could go to college. I didn’t think that was an option for me. It has given me tremendous confidence that people, who don’t even know me, believe in me and my future. This scholarship has made me believe in myself.’”
With the approaching close of the calendar year and a looming tax season, individuals, families, foundations, businesses and community groups may make tax-deductible gifts designating either annual scholarships or endowed scholarship funds to benefit local students.
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara expresses a special thank you to Community Leaders Luncheon sponsors Montecito Bank & Trust and Venoco Inc.
Click here for more information about the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, or call 805.687.6065. Click here to make an online donation.
— Noozhawk iSociety columnist Melissa Walker can be reached at mwalker@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
