Scholarships Invest in San Diego County Students

(San Diego, CA) May 20, 2001 - 105 San Diego County students, each with unique circumstances and life experiences, but all possessing a similar goal of receiving a quality education and making a positive contribution to society, have been awarded scholarships from The San Diego Foundation to help them achieve their dreams. These students have received scholarship awards from 35 different scholarship funds at The San Diego Foundation. Their awards range from $350 to $35,000, and together total more than $300,000.

Ryan Jones, a native of El Cajon and a graduate of Grossmont High School, will receive the largest award, $35,000, from The San Diego Foundation Hans & Margaret Doe Scholarship Fund to support his studies at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Ryan is currently completing his sophomore year at Washington University, and is pursuing a double major in English and History with a minor in Fine Arts. He participates in a number of school activities that represent his broad range of interests, including student-led social justice action groups and the History Honor Society. He also designs marketing materials at his workplace, and writes fiction and poetry. After he graduates, he would like to pursue a graduate degree and teach in a public school. He knows his talents and experience will help him in his chosen career to inspire students to learn. Ryan has always followed his interests and goals and chooses positive and challenging learning experiences for himself. Ryan explains his desire to use his education to help other students learn and succeed: "Through my own recent journey through the public education system, I have been forced to deal with the kinds of problems that plague society as a whole: violence, drugs, racism, and all kinds of social injustice. I believe that the only way we can effectively solve these deeply ingrained issues is through hard work at the community level. There is no better place to do this than in our schools . . . I intend to teach at a public high school, preferably in an economically disadvantaged area . . . I feel I will be making a versatile contribution to the community, bringing equally important creativity and expertise to bear on the problem of strengthening and healing our ailing communities."

Other recipients of the Hans and Margaret Doe Scholarship are as follows: Michael Amodeo, who is completing his studies at UCLA School of Dentistry, received $10,000; Allison Ball of Rohnert Park, who attends Sonoma State University, received $13,500; Amanda Dambach of Vista was awarded $7,910, and attends CSU San Marcos; Leticia Ramirez of Vista, who also attends CSU San Marcos, was awarded $7,910; Juan Zamora of Escondido will receive $7,910 to continue his studies at CSU San Marcos.

Lauren Dowell, a senior at Carlsbad High School, was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid at the age of nine. Two years later she contracted Lyme disease, and at fourteen was discovered to have diabetes. The triple realization that her "body wasn't working the right way" caused her fear and other challenges, but she was able to approach these difficulties with intellectual curiosity and a fascination for the functioning of the human body. She decided to study biology and to pursue medicine as a possible career path. She particularly wants to help young children who are afflicted with serious illnesses. Since she is a practicing Catholic with superior grades who will be attending a Roman Catholic university, University of San Diego, she has been awarded a $7,000 scholarship from The San Diego Foundation James R. & Geraldine F. Bertelsen Scholarship Fund. Lauren expresses a desire to learn and enrich all areas of her life during her college years: "My reason for attending college goes beyond simply obtaining a traditional education. I do want to learn from books, professors, and tests, but that's not all. I want an education for my life."

Mrs. Geraldine F. Bertelsen was a parishioner of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Carlsbad from 1955 until her death in 1994. She was a devout Catholic who valued her education at Catholic grammar and high schools. The Bertelsens believed that faith and education are the cornerstones of every successful community. To build upon their belief and to honor their love for children, the Bertelsen's estate established this scholarship in their family name to assist college-bound students. As criteria for the James R. & Geraldine F. Bertelsen Scholarship, the applicants must be Roman Catholic, preferably practicing Catholics, residents of Carlsbad, graduating high school seniors and/or students already enrolled in a college or university who will be or are currently attending a four-year Roman Catholic college or university. The scholarship is based on academic achievement with need being a secondary consideration.

Other recipients of the James R. & Geraldine F. Bertelsen Scholarship this year are: Kathleen Cardosa, Carlsbad native and student at Loyola Marymount University, has received a renewable scholarship of $10,000. Joseph Frazee, student at Carlsbad High School, was awarded $5,000 to attend Loyola Marymount University. Natasha Frazee was also awarded $5,000 to continue her studies at Loyola Marymount University. Lastly, Timothy Frazee, Natasha's brother and a Carlsbad High School student, was awarded $5,000 to attend Loyola Marymount University.

Frank Garcia explains his drive to succeed when he says, "I want to be out in the world and be able to say to myself that no matter what obstacles came before me, I became a success." Though he comes from a low-income family and will be the first person in his family to attend college, he has not let these circumstances interfere with his goals. A senior at Hilltop High School in Chula Vista who will be attending UC Berkeley, Frank has earned a consistently high GPA and taken a number of Advanced Placement courses. He was highly recommended for his volunteer work and outstanding leadership qualities. Because he plans to major in Chemistry and eventually attend medical school, he qualified for The San Diego Foundation BIOCOM Scholarship and was awarded $4,000.

The other recipients of the BIOCOM Scholarship are as follows: Yadani Beyene of Gompers Secondary School will receive $4,000 to attend Harvard University. Anurupa Dev of La Jolla High School was awarded $4,000 to attend UC Berkeley. Michelle Nelson of University City High School will receive $4,000 to attend Duke University. Maria Ramones of Rancho Bernardo High School will receive $4,000 to attend UC Berkeley. S

heryl Marie Hesseltine, a 31-year-old single mom, has struggled all her life to make ends meet. She was aware from an early age of the importance of receiving a good education, but was the only one in her family to graduate from high school. Indeed, during her childhood, she taught her brothers how to read. Her six-year-old son is diagnosed with ADD, and she has had to balance the demands of raising him with working and attending Palomar Community College for the past two years. Finally, her efforts are paying off, and she has been accepted to California State University, San Marcos, where she will pursue a B.A. in Behavioral Science. She will complete her undergraduate education there and plans to continue on to receive a Master's in Social Work. Since she will be majoring in a healthcare-related field, she qualified for The San Diego Foundation Anneka McMillan Scholarship for healthcare or medical research and was awarded $1,000.

The Anneka McMillan Scholarship for healthcare or medical research is intended for students who have already completed two years at the college level and are majoring in a health-related field; or students enrolled in a certificate program at a community college or trade/vocational school. This scholarship was established by Howard and Terrill McMillan in memory of their daughter Anneka, who died of metastatic bone cancer at age 17. The scholarship is open to students who, like Anneka, were motivated by an experience of their own or someone close to them to pursue a career in health care or medical research.

Other recipients of the Anneka McMillan Scholarship are Deanna Hamilton of Hilltop High School, who will receive $1,000 to attend Los Angeles Pierce College, and Michelle Shuff of Grossmont Community College, who will receive $1,000 to attend UCSD.

Although Daniel Hoffman of Madison High School has a facility for computer science and aspires to be an electrical engineer, he has excelled in all areas of study, including French, literature, history, and political science. He showed a particular flair for philosophical writing when he composed a term paper on "Beauty Through the Ages" for his 10th grade advanced humanities class "The Great Idea Project":

Beauty, in its wondrous forms, is manifest all around us. There is just as much beauty visible to us as we are prepared to appreciate . . . Without beauty, spirits shrivel from lack of nourishment . . .Beauty in a physical object inspires the coordination of our physical senses and spiritual receptors. Appreciation of beauty unifies our being: body, soul, and sprit.

Daniel has taken every opportunity possible to educate himself and explore different areas of interest. He has taken the initiative to build websites for several of his teachers. He has inspired those around him to excel. Since Daniel is pursuing a degree in Engineering, he qualified for The San Diego Foundation American Electronics Association Scholarship and was awarded $1,500. He will be attending UCSD in the fall.

The San Diego Foundation's Community Scholarship Program brings together students in need and individuals who care about education to enable more students to reach their educational goals. We believe that an investment in students is an investment in our community - a positive impact that will be realized long beyond a four-year degree. Because the overall cost of college tuition has increased so dramatically over the past ten years, The Foundation places a priority on assisting students in need. Scholarships provide opportunities for students to get ahead and stay ahead. Used in conjunction with stipends, grants, work-study, and student loans, scholarships help fill the gap where the student's educational costs exceed the financial aid he or she receives.

Students are encouraged to visit The San Diego Foundation's website for help with their search for scholarships. Our scholarship section, offers a comprehensive search engine of all the scholarships at The San Diego Foundation. In addition, it contains a Countywide Directory of scholarships that may also help students in their search.

Founded in 1975, The San Diego Foundation is the largest charitable foundation in San Diego, maintaining more than $406 million in assets. The Foundation manages more than 650 private funds and distributes more than $30 million each year for charitable purposes. In its 25 years, The Foundation has distributed $167 million in grants to the San Diego community.

You can support the educational goals of local students by establishing your own scholarship fund, or by contributing to The San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship Program. Call The San Diego Foundation today at (619) 235-2300, or visit our website, to begin supporting education in San Diego.