Angelique Gutierrez will never forget how she felt when she opened her email to the news she’d received a scholarship through San Diego Foundation (SDF).
“I cried tears of joy and screamed in excitement,” she shares.
Angelique is one of nearly 1,300 local students following dreams of higher education, with the support of the SDF Community Scholarship Program. Now studying to become an educator, Angelique is looking forward to shaping the next generation.
“I’m so excited to get in the classroom with students and inspire them to be all they can be and create a great learning environment just as my teachers all have,” she says.
Her story is one of many – a powerful reminder that scholarships do more than ease financial burdens. They can transform lives and uplift entire communities through education.
First in the Family: Empowering First-Generation Students
José Garcia, a first-generation college student, is navigating his journey at university with determination and focus, empowered by his scholarship.
“Being a first generation, low-income college student – it’s been very interesting to see how my journey at the university was going to progress,” he says – reflecting on the unique perspective he brings to his academic path.
As one of the 74% of SDF scholarship recipients in 2024 who are the first in their families to attend college, José represents the next generation of leaders from diverse backgrounds. For him, the scholarship has been a powerful tool, allowing him to approach his studies with greater confidence.
“There are a lot of things to worry about,” he says. “Just having that relief that I don’t have to worry as much about financials really changes how I finish up my college career and how I approach the semester.”
With fewer financial worries, he’s able to focus on his goals and make the most of his college experience, all while contributing to a greater vision of inclusive growth in the community.
Cultivating a More Diverse Workforce
Every student scholarship recipient has a dream — and those dreams are shaping the future of San Diego’s workforce. These are just a few of the big dreams SDF scholarships help support:
- Anchal is determined to break barriers in the engineering field, inspiring young women to step into the tech world.
- Dominique, a single mom balancing school and motherhood, is focused on becoming a registered nurse to make a lasting impact in healthcare.
- Tayler has big plans to launch his own million-dollar company, bringing innovation and entrepreneurship to life.
- Brookelyn is following her passion for animals, pursuing a career as a large-animal veterinarian to care for creatures on a grand scale.
These students represent the bright, diverse future of San Diego’s workforce. In fact, 41% of the scholarship recipients identify as Latino/a and 16% as U.S.-born Black or African American — communities that are vital to the region’s continued growth.
The San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation has emphasized that investing in these students is essential to meeting the region’s growing demand for skilled workers. By supporting these ambitious students, we’re not only helping them achieve their dreams — we’re also cultivating a more inclusive and dynamic workforce for years to come.
Education is key to the success of our region’s future and a focus area of the Fifty & Forward Campaign, San Diego Foundation’s most ambitious undertaking to date. Fifty & Forward will grant $500 million to realize our region’s greatest opportunities in three key areas: education, children and families and the environment—and raise $1 billion to help shape our community’s future. Learn more about Fifty & Forward at SDFoundation.org/50.
About the Community Scholarship Program
The Community Scholarship Program at San Diego Foundation is a vital resource for local students, made possible through the generous donor support of 160 unique charitable funds.
As the largest scholarship program in the region outside of the university system, it has been transforming lives since 1997. To date, the program has awarded more than $53 million to over 14,000 college students from San Diego, helping them realize their educational dreams and build brighter futures.
Through this program, donors play a critical role in opening doors to higher education for students from diverse backgrounds, ensuring that the next generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers can succeed.