Donors

This scholarship is for MiraCosta College students with a 2.0 GPA or higher, demonstrate financial need, and be enrolled in 6 units or more.   Qualified candidates must be former foster youth participating in the RAFFY* program. 
Qualified candidates must be continuing or transferring to a 4-year institution.  
(*RAFFY: Resources and Assistance for Former Foster Youth) 

Born on September 24, 1932, in Gypsy, Oklahoma, to Roy and Opal Wood, June was the eldest of her siblings. Her family moved to Bakersfield, California, where she met her husband, Knox Williams, who was working his way through college when he sold her a Westmoreland sterling silverware set for her hope chest.
June and Knox married in 1951, and moved to Santa Barbara so June could complete her Bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her passion for learning, teaching, and reading were evident throughout her life.
In 1961, Knox and June purchased a Rayne franchise in North San Diego County and relocated to Carlsbad where they generously gave their time, talents, and treasure to many local causes and organizations.  They were founding members of the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, and June received the honor as Woman of the Year by the City of Carlsbad.
Throughout their marriage, Knox and June loved to travel and explore faraway places and to spend time with loved ones. Together they visited over 50 countries and most of the United States, but Santa Barbara remained closest to June’s heart.  
Preceding June’s death on August 21, 2014, was her youngest child, Drue Knox Williams, who passed away in November 1999. It is a great comfort to know they reunited in peace.  
June was a loving wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a friend who is greatly missed and admired.

The San Diego Floral Association is sponsored by the San Diego Park and Recreation Department. Founded in 1907, it is the oldest garden club in Southern California and the first organization allowed to occupy quarters in Balboa Park.
Mission: To promote the knowledge and appreciation of horticulture and floriculture in the San Diego region.

 

The Del Mar-Leucadia Branch California, Inc., is a branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). The AAUW Del Mar-Leucadia branch was founded in 1955 to serve the San Diego North County coastal communities of La Costa, Leucadia, Encinitas, Olivenhain, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, Del Mar, and Carmel Valley.
Friendship, networking, community action projects, education, and fundraising are just some of the aspects that attract members to our organization.
Mission Statement: The purpose of AAUW is to promote equity for all women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.

Scholarship criteria:  Student must be receiving a Califonia College Promise Grant (CCPG), have completed 24 or more degree applicable units, have stated career goals, a 2.0 GPA or higher, majoring in Nursing.

Bela was born in Tornyospálca, Hungary, to hardworking farmers.  They wanted a better life for their children and migrated to Canada where Bela remembers selling bagels and newspapers on the street corner before going to school.  School was very important to the family, but it was a struggle. Nothing was easy for immigrants in 1930’s Toronto. The family persevered, and eventually Bela brought his own family to the United States where he pursued a career in engineering. Bela crisscrossed the globe, following nuclear power plants all over the world, combining his job with his insatiable love of travel. People, to Bela, were simply friends he had yet to meet. He did not know the word “stranger,” for everyone was a friend to Bela.  
Retirement was when the true fun began. Bela was free to travel and it was in retirement that he became a volunteer officer with the Oceanside Police Department. He loved putting on his uniform and serving his community. He enjoyed his years in the patrol car, but his favorite time was spent at the Oceanside Pier at the “beach lock up.” He loved answering phones, assisting officers and the public in any way he could. In 2008, he was honored as Volunteer Officer of the Year.
The Miko Family chose Administration of Justice as the recipient of the Bela Miko Endowed Scholarship to honor our father’s commitment to education and law enforcement.

MiraCosta College Service Learning Program.  Service learning is a form of experiential education that partners academic instruction with community service. Students learn through participation in thoughtfully organized service activities that are course relevant and meet actual community needs.  Each semester approximately 60 courses at MiraCosta College offer a service component either as an option or a requirement. Students are placed in non-profit organizations and public schools where they provide a variety of support services. These placements allow students to apply course theory in real world settings while making valuable community contributions.

California Coast Credit Union Service Learning Scholarship
This scholarship is for MiraCosta College students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Student must be currently enrolled in 9 or more units at MiraCosta College, be a U.S. citizen or resident alien, and involved with student leadership activities on campus and/or completed 25 hours of volunteer/service learning at a nonprofit or K-12 educational facility that is documented through the MiraCosta Service Learning and Volunteer Center. 

The Carlsbad Garden Club has been around since 1932, and continually brings together individuals that all have one common passion - gardening. The club has the purpose to stimulate knowledge and love of gardening among amateurs, to aid in the protection of native plants, trees and birds, and to aid and encourage civic planting and beautification.
The Carlsbad Garden Club promotes gardening through their philanthropic investment in the community via scholarship funding.

 

The Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club, chartered in 1980, has over 90 members. It sponsors an active Interact Club at Carlsbad High School. Each year it sends both facilitators and students to the annual RYLA conference and to the Rotary District's LEAD program for eighth graders. Each third grader in the Carlsbad Unified School District also receives his/her own dictionary from Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary. The club co-sponsors the Rotary Oktoberfest jointly with the Carlsbad (evening) Club held on the first Saturday in October. Proceeds from this event are shared with nonprofit community organizations and are used by the club for local community service projects. Additionally, the club sponsors an annual Golf Tournament with all proceeds used to fund scholarships for graduating high school students and for U.S. Marines continuing their educations at MiraCosta College.
 The Club produces an AVID conference for students at Carlsbad High School, and provides physical and financial service to a literacy project at Jefferson Elementary School, the Carlsbad Educational Foundation, the Aqua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, the Police and Fire Explorers, the Assistance League of the North Coast, Meals on Wheels, Veterans Association of North County, La Posada, the Carlsbad Christmas Bureau, Stand Up For Kids, Solutions for Change and a variety of other nonprofit organizations. 
The Club's International team assists in a variety of ways, including the building of a house in Tijuana, Mexico each year.  Schools in Belize now have potable water, electricity via a solar system, and computers as a result of Hi-Noon Rotary.  We assist in disaster relief, polio eradication, potable water and other projects worldwide.

Walter “Wally” and Clare Taibleson were parents of four children. They moved from the Midwest to California in 1986, where Wally and Clare’s youngest son, Jim, encouraged Wally to go college. Wally was 70 years old when he enrolled in one class at MiraCosta College and 75 when he earned his Associates Degree. Two years into his studies at Cal State San Marcos, Clare passed away and he contemplated quitting. Encouraged by a professor to keep going, Wally earned his Master’s Degree in 2013. At 90, Walter was the oldest student in the Cal State University system and the oldest graduate in Cal State San Marcos history to earn a master’s degree from the college, and it was his third degree. Wally earned a master’s degree in history, literature and writing, and education.
Wally spent much of his later years in school to improve his mind. He cited his recently discovered “credo” by the American scientist Rosalyn Yalow: “The excitement of learning separates youth from old age. As long as you’re learning you’re not old.”

The Coastal Community Foundation supports the A.R.M.S. Fund for Women and Children Book Grants and the Encinitas Garden Festival Fund Scholarships for MiraCosta College students.
The Coastal Community Foundation started in 1987, around a small table wedged into a tiny office at the Community Resource Center in Encinitas. A handful of citizens had an idea: they wanted to create a way to support social service, education and environmental issues and more in an area undergoing extraordinary change.  The mission of the Coastal Community Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in the North Coastal San Diego County by directing philanthropic efforts toward community needs.  They serve the communities of Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside. 
The Coastal Community Foundation fulfills their mission by providing a flexible way for donors with varied philanthropic desires to make a positive difference in areas of interest; work with individuals, families, and businesses as partners to fulfill their charitable goals and address community needs; offer grants to support nonprofit programs and community projects; serve as a resource for philanthropy and help professional advisors serve their clients.
 

The Col. Harry D. and Patricia G. L’Heureux Endowed veteran scholarship was established by their family to honor the service, dedication and generosity exemplified by their lifelong commitment to the military and the value they placed on service to others. Harry and his wife Patricia “Paddy” were married 62 years. Harry served in the USAF for 30 years after graduating from UCLA in 1942. At UCLA, Harry played freshman baseball, but lost his position to Jackie Robinson. During his career he flew 63 combat missions and received numerous decorations and medals including the Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force Commendation Medal, and was twice awarded the Legion of Merit. He also had a career in the space industry, as Vice Director for the Directorate of Special Projects managing NASA research and technology contracts. Always looking for unique ways to enhance the future and passionate about community service, Harry served on various community boards, volunteered at local hospitals, and continually encouraged others to value each individual for their unique qualities.
Paddy L’Heureux was an exemplary Air Force wife supporting Harry’s 30-year military career. She was a tireless community volunteer and managed the family while he was away for extended periods of time. Her love of books and world travel contributed to her acceptance of all nationalities and cultures. Paddy was instrumental in developing a program with the Red Cross to provide support to residents in the San Bernardino State Mental Health Hospital where she worked to foster acceptance and respect for those with Mental Health issues. Her gentle spirit, kindness, service, and dedication to the military way of life, enriched us all.

This scholarship is for MiraCosta College students with a 2.0 GPA or higher. Qualified candidates must have completed or currently enrolled in two transfer level STEM* courses (*Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). Students must intend to pursue a STEM degree in any STEM field including, but not limited to, Science, Engineering, Math, Physics, Architecture or Nursing.
Qualified candidates must be students planning to continue at MiraCosta College, enroll in six units or more, and have financial need.

This endowment was established in memory of David M. Jennings II, a young student of MiraCosta College whose life ended earlier than expected, at the age of 19. In 2005, he had attended MiraCosta College for two years and planned to transfer to the University of California San Diego. He had dreams of and hopes of becoming a surgeon. He was motivated to become a doctor since he watched a documentary on medicine in sixth grade. David was “a wonderful son” says his dad and a hard working student who excelled at school. He was a member of the Associated Student Government and the Student Ambassadors group. MiraCosta's then coordinator of student relations/outreach Jan Moberly said "He was the center of the group." David’s memory lives on in his endowed scholarship, and enables students to reach their dreams.
 

Donald Kavalec was born on February 28, 1930 in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1941, he moved to Southern California where he spent most of his life. After graduating from Marshall High School in Los Angeles, he served in the U.S. Army for one year before attending the University of Southern California, where he received an undergraduate degree and a Masters in Spanish.
Donald taught Spanish for over 40 years, starting as a teacher at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, California. After moving to Vista in 1965, he served as an instructor at MiraCosta College until his retirement in 1995. At MiraCosta College, Donald was known for his service on the Senate Faculty Committee, for his sense of humor, and his love of practical jokes.
Donald was a man on many interests and enjoyed arboriculture, astronomy, music, and golf. 

This endowed scholarship was established in memory of Dr. Michael Giansiracusa by fellow faculty and staff who worked with him at MiraCosta College. Dr. Giansiracusa was a part-time Instructor of Italian and taught here at MiraCosta for two years. He spent his entire adult life teaching Italian, Philosophy, Logic, Greek and Latin. He was a great teacher and a kind, gentle, and generous person and man of peace, as one of his co-workers has described him. 

David and Rosann Drielsma endowed three scholarships at MiraCosta College: 

• Pauline S. Drielsma Memorial Music Endowed Scholarship
• J. Arthur & Pauline Drielsma Reentry Endowed Scholarship
• Community Learning Center Transition Endowed Scholarship

The Pauline S. Drielsma Memorial Music Endowed Scholarship was established by David Drielsma, Pauline’s son, in memory of her life and love of music. Dave was a longtime MiraCosta College instructor who wanted to keep his mother’s memory and passion for music alive. Pauline was born in 1904 in a Jewish immigrant community in Chicago. Her community particularly enjoyed classical music, with piano and violin being favored instruments, which her children studied. Pauline was one of the first in her family to attend college. She majored and graduated in piano studies from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Pauline acquired a Conover grand piano from her sister Ethyl, who also majored in music, and obtained a Steinway spinet which she played until her passing. Pauline’s favorite music included Mozart sonatas, Bach preludes, and works by Ravel and Debussy. Pauline continued to take piano classes and participated in piano recitals well into her 80’s. This endowment continues her love for music.
The J. Arthur and Pauline Drielsma Reentry Endowed Scholarship was established by Dave in memory of his parents, J. Arthur and Pauline. This scholarship was established to remember his father, who was one of a kind. J. Arthur was a third generation Chicagoan, his grandfather had emigrated from Friesland in the mid-1800. J. Arthur was the first in his family to attend college, graduating in 1923 from the University of Illinois, School of Architecture. He established a partnership in Chicago as a sub-contractor building the world’s largest ordnance plant in Lawrence, Kansas. That partnership fell through with the onset of World War II, and J. Arthur decided to move to California. He moved to California to realize a vision of building theatres, including drive-in theatres. This vision became a thriving business designing and building both drive-in and hard-top theatres. J. Arthur made a name for himself and a life for his family. Dave stated, “He lived life to the fullest.” 
The Community Learning Center Transition Endowed Scholarship.  This scholarship is for students attending the MiraCosta Community Learning Center completing adult high school classes planning to enroll in credit classes at MiraCosta College.
David Drielsma was a retired MiraCosta College associate faculty member and community education instructor, and passed away on May 21, 2017. Dave became part of the MiraCosta family in 1988 where he taught history and geography courses followed by noncredit education classes until his retirement in 2011. Believing in MiraCosta’s mission, Dave served in the capacity as associate faculty representative on the Academic Senate and, along with his wife, Rosann, was a generous donor to the College’s Foundation. In 2005, David and Rosann established a scholarship in honor of David’s mother, Pauline Drielsma and were avid supporters of theatre arts and services for re-entry students.  David had a positive impact on all he knew, students and the college at large, and left a wonderful legacy helping students through the scholarships he endowed.

Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson (NYSE:EMR), protects and optimizes critical infrastructure for data centers, communications networks, healthcare, and industrial facilities. The company delivers software, hardware, and services that maximize availability, capacity, and efficiency for your business.

Scholarship criteria:  Student must be receiving a California College Promise Grant (CCPG), have completed 24 or more degree applicable units, have stated career goals, a 2.0 GPA or higher, majoring in Business, Communications or Engineering.

Encore Capital Group is an international specialty finance company with operations in six countries. Encore Capital Group is a leading provider of debt recovery solutions for consumers and property owners.  The company’s global philanthropic program focuses on economic empowerment and helping consumers and communities that are most in need take control of their financial futures through better education, job training and basic support services.
 

Fallbrook Garden Club, founded in 1931, is one of the oldest clubs in the California Garden Clubs, Inc. (CGCI) family with over 150 men and women dedicated to creating and promoting an interest in horticulture, Floral and landscape design, conservation and preservation of natural resources, and civic and environmental responsibility
The Fallbrook Garden Club offers member education through speakers, workshops, tours and field trips, the opportunity for community involvement and civic beautification, public education through flower shows and garden tours, youth programs and scholarships. And above all, friendship and fun!  Fallbrook is located in the beautiful, rolling hills of north San Diego County and the Mediterranean climate allows them to grow almost anything.

This scholarship is for MiraCosta College students, with a 2.0 GPA or higher.
Qualified candidates must be students planning to continue at MiraCosta College and enroll in six units or more.
Student must be pursuing life sciences and/or nutrition, and be enrolled in such a class, completed a FAFSA application, and engaged in community service preferred.

Both Fred and Louise Krivoski were first generation Americans, born to naturalized citizens who emigrated to the United Sates in the early part of the twentieth century from countries within the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Born and raised bi-lingual in small coal mining towns along the Monongahela River in southwestern Pennsylvania, they both completed high school and had aspirations for higher education. The Great Depression and family obligations kept them from accomplishing those expectations but, despite external circumstances, Fred and Louise retained their belief in the causative link between education and achievement, both professionally and personally. They passed that belief to their daughters, encouraging them to become independent and well-educated contributors to society. 
This endowed scholarship was established by the daughters of Fred and Louise, in honor of their parents memory. "Both my sister and myself have spent the majority of our professional lives in the field of education; she at Kent State University and I at MiraCosta College. Our parents were proud of that and happy that they were able to provide us the means to pursue our educational goals. They would be proud of this scholarship as well, and pleased to provide assistance for other students to achieve their educational goals."

The Fred Gardner Barnard Memorial Endowed Scholarship was originally established in 1953 by Harriet and F. Gardner Barnard, Jr., in honor of their father Fred G. Barnard, Sr. (1872-1953). Barnard, Sr. was born in Ventura and moved to San Diego County in 1909. He raised lima beans and sugar beets on land leased from the O’Neill family in the area that is now known as Las Flores on Camp Pendleton. To keep the memory of Barnard, Sr. the first endowment was designated for agricultural students.
In 1973 the Barnard endowment was increased to create additional scholarships in memory of Fred Gardner Barnard, Jr. by his son, Fred G. Barnard, III and Barnard Jr.’s many friends. F. Gardner Barnard, Jr. (1904-1973) attended school in San Diego and graduated from Oregon State College in 1928, where he majored in agriculture and minored in real estate. He grew citrus in the San Luis Rey valley and farmed in San Marcos until the 1950’s. Barnard, Jr. was and still is a dedicated to supporting education. Barnard, Jr. was heavily involved in MiraCosta College, he served as president of the board for 14 years, and was vital in securing the property MiraCosta now is located, hence the reason the road circling this beautiful campus is named Barnard Drive, in his honor.

Fred was a San Diego Horticultural Society member, lecturer, contributor, and accomplished plant collector and hybridizer. Fred revolutionized the cut-flower industry with his stunning hybrids and selections. Plant collecting trips to remote areas of South America, South Africa, and Australia resulted in many newly­ discovered species and cultivars, which he brought home to Escondido and used as the backbone of his many ingenious breeding programs. His all-consuming goal was to create new, more beautiful, more vigorous flowering plants.
Fred was the consummate scientist, relentlessly researching the plant groups he was working with to find new pathways to better plants, and spent time overseeing the propagation and distribution of his creations grown and sold throughout the world. In collaboration with Brazilian botanists, Fred's extensive travels to remote areas of Brazil allowed him to photograph and collect more newly discovered species of flowering perennials and shrubs than any American in our time. Plant growers will be working with and introducing Fred Meyer's many splendid creations for years to come.
Fred B. Meyer passed away May 1999 and in his honor, the San Diego Horticultural Society created the Fred Meyer Memorial Scholarship, which is given to a MiraCosta College student majoring in horticulture.

The Gaiser Family Endowed Scholarship was established by Jim Gaiser, an active community leader and 1948 graduate of MiraCosta College. Jim spent two years in the Army, and then enrolled at UCLA where he earned his bachelor’s degree. Jim opened Carlsbad’s first CPA firm in 1958 where he remained in practice and became a vital community member.
Jim served as president and treasurer of the MiraCosta College Foundation and worked with numerous civic organizations in the area. Before him and his wife’s death in 2007, he regularly donated to his endowed fund to ensure students received support and access to education. The endowed scholarship still survives with the support of his two daughters Jane Carter and Diane Greenbaum.

The Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Club is one of the longest continually-running clubs at MiraCosta College. The students of the club began fundraising to endow a student scholarship in their club's name in the fall of 2011, and in just 5 semesters they successfully fundraised more than $25,000 in scholarship money for LGBT students and allies at MiraCosta College. In addition to hosting the annual Queer Cupcake Party and tabling on campus to raise awareness about World AIDS Day, the students in the GSA also participate in off-campus regional events such as the North County GSA Awards, North County Pride at the Beach, and the San Diego AIDS Walk. This scholarship is an honor to receive because of the hard work donors, students and GSA members have put forward to make such a scholarship possible.

For more than 30 years, Genentech has been following the science, seeking solutions to unmet medical needs. As a proud member of the Roche Group, they make medicines to treat patients with serious medical conditions.  Genentech has an extensive track record in all phases of bringing new disease treatments to patients — from discovery research through clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization. With multiple protein-based products on the market for serious or life-threatening medical conditions, Genentech has experience taking a drug from A to Z, transforming the seed of an idea in a lab into a novel therapy for a patient in need.
Genentech was the first biotechnology company to scale up protein manufacturing successfully from the small quantities used for research to the much larger quantities needed for clinical trials and marketing.  Over the last two decades, Genentech has built world-class production facilities, developed expertise in commercially viable manufacturing processes, and also attracted and retained key personnel with experience in all aspects of large-scale biologics manufacturing. Genentech's manufacturing expertise, capacity and portfolio of capacity enhancement projects position the company well to meet the internally forecasted demands for our products. Our dedication to world-class biologics manufacturing and our careful planning for the future will assist us in continuing to deliver innovative therapies to patients with serious and life-threatening diseases. Genentech's manufacturing network, fully integrated into the Roche Group, includes bulk drug manufacturing in its California locations of South San Francisco, Vacaville, and Oceanside, and fill/finish operations in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Kathleen Jolly was the youngest of 13 children and survived the Depression by picking crops from the Imperial Valley to the Canadian border. Kathleen was raised in Oregon by her single mother, from whom she developed her strength of character, and her humanity towards others. When the war started in 1941, Kathleen became an electrician in the Portland, Oregon shipyards. After the war she was laid off and found work at the Janzen Knitting Mill, where she became an accomplished seamstress and the sole supporter of her mother. At the age of 25 she purchased a home in Oregon, which was a big accomplishment for a single woman at that time. She moved to Long Beach some years later and worked as a solderer, her precision and thoroughness was recognized and she was given many intricate jobs. In the 1950’s she moved to Hawaii where she met her husband Hank Jolly.
Hank originally set up an endowed fund in memory of his wife Kathleen who passed away in April of 1998. Hank Jolly was added to the endowed fund after his death in 2011. Hank was a 45 year resident of Carlsbad, who was raised in England and Trinidad, British West Indies. Hank joined the Marine Corps in 1947, in which he was awarded “The Distinguished Marksman Badge” in 1962, which is an award that has been given out less than 700 times. Hank was a distinguished and unique individual. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1969. Hank was employed at the MiraCosta College San Elijo Campus as groundskeeper. He will forever be with MiraCosta College. 

This scholarship is for students at MiraCosta College with a 2.0 GPA or higher.  
Students must be majoring in either Dramatic Arts, Drama/Theatre Arts for Transfer, or Drama/Design & Technology, and completed nine (9) or more units in their major.
Qualified candidates must have participated in two or more shows at MiraCosta as a cast member or with thechnical theater: set design, costumes, makeup, props, lighting, etc. Student may be planning to continue at MiraCosta College in six or more units or transferring to a 4-year institution.

Noriko Kameda, retired MiraCosta College Japanese instructor and Japanese Club Advisor, passed away the morning of December 6, 2011. Noriko held a master's degree in Linguistics from SDSU and a Bachelor's Degree in Japanese Literature from Keio University (Tokyo, Japan). She also took classes at MiraCosta College from 1982-83, and her very first teaching assignment in the U.S. was for a MiraCosta College community services class in 1984.  Noriko served as an associate faculty member teaching Japanese at MiraCosta College from 1986–1990, during which time she also taught part-time at Mesa College, San Diego State University (SDSU) and University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Noriko was hired into the full-time Japanese instructor position in August 1991 and retired on June 30, 2011. Most recently, during fall quarter 2011, she taught at UCSD as a lecturer in the Japanese Studies Program.
The MiraCosta College community set up and donates to the Noriko Kameda Osher Scholarship Endowment that will generate an annual $ 1,000 scholarship.

Jean McKee, born in 1906, was the youngest of six children. Neither her siblings nor her parents had more than an 8^th grade education, but she desired to complete high school and college to become an elementary school teacher. Her father didn’t believe that girls needed to be educated, but after several years of working for his business, she quit and attended Pasadena City College full-time. With only enough money to fund one semester at UCLA, she discovered that South Pasadena Women’s Club provided scholarships for working women who wanted to complete their formal education. She received this scholarship and with a small loan, Jean was able to finish her BA degree. She took the closest teaching job she could get which was in Lancaster, a 100 miles round trip. Jean later taught in the South Pasadena City School District for many years, working with gifted students. While there, she would trade classes with other teachers who taught her pupils P.E. and history, subjects she didn’t care for, while she taught their pupils music and folk dancing. She wrote and directed school-wide musicals, showcasing the skills she had taught the students.

Joan C. King taught mathematics at MiraCosta College for nearly 30 years. While she did have quite a fondness for math, helping students succeed was her true passion. She continually explored new ways to facilitate learning in the classroom while showing genuine care for her students as individuals. This scholarship was created to honor Joan’s dedication to MiraCosta students and to continue to help them overcome adversity so they can learn, believe in themselves, and reach their full potential.

 

Pride Resource Partners LLC is a certified minority-owned business enterprise providing outsourced facilities planning and management, construction planning and management, engineering, and other highly technical consulting services.
 
Founder and CEO Joe Maak is an active member of San Diego's LGBTQIA community with a special interest in preventing bullying. He funded an endowed scholarship here at MiraCosta in support of a community of students who, in addition to the typical academic stress felt by college students, experience high rates of mental health issues, homelessness and substance abuse, and for whom institutional support is not always present or obvious.
 
This scholarship is for students who have completed six units or more at MiraCosta College with a GPA of 2.0 or greater, and demonstrate financial need. Qualified candidates must be students planning to continue at MiraCosta College enrolling in six units or more, member or active ally of the LGBTQIA community and/or identify as trans* and/or gender nonconforming.  (Active ally: attend MiraCosta Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club meetings, volunteer on behalf of the LGBTQIA community on or off campus, work on behalf of trans* rights, direct course of study toward promoting equality and equity for the trans*community, volunteer on behalf of the trans* community on or off campus, etc.)

Mary Steiger established the John & Mary Steiger Scholarship in memory of her husband, John.
John and Mary were both heavily involved in philanthropic work in Oceanside, where they lived.  John’s philanthropic work included the establishment of the Oceanside Boys and Girls Club and the Oceanside Yacht Club.  He was a member of the Oceanside City Council and a charter president of the Oceanside-Carlsbad Junior Chamber of Commerce.  Before John’s significant impact and participation in the Oceanside community, he served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and awarded silver wings for his service.  John attended MiraCosta College before transferring to Stanford University to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Family and friends have described John and Mary as visionaries and philanthropists who worked inseparably to better their community, Oceanside. 

 

Scholarship criteria:  Student must be receiving a California College Promise Grant (CCPG), have completed 24 or more degree applicable units, have stated career goals, a 2.0 GPA or higher, in the Honors Program at MiraCosta College.

Kathleen is remembered for breaking down cultural barriers in North County, around the nation, and throughout the world. Kathleen was an English teacher whose students included migrant workers in Colorado, helicopter pilots in Iran, Yugoslavians, and students at MiraCosta College. Each student she taught had one thing in common and what was language. Kathleen received her bachelor’s degree in English literature from UC Santa Barbara and a master’s degree in English as a Second Language from San Francisco State University in 1974. Kathleen made a significant impact on MiraCosta College students by starting the first accredited English as a Second Language program.  Besides her love for teaching English, Kathleen also enjoyed knitting, reading, traveling, gardening, and sea kayaking. She was also a musician and a naturalist. Kathleen was one of a kind. 

After retirement in 1988, Ken and Marie Bertossi relocated from Los Angeles to Vista.  Ken was a CPA/Engineer in the defense/aerospace industry.  Marie was an executive assistant in a business management firm serving the entertainment industry. 
Ken and Marie stated, “MiraCosta College has been named as one of the primary beneficiaries in our living trust because of our strong belief that it serves the specific needs of motivated young individuals that cannot otherwise afford a major four-year university.  Our strong belief that education is the best pathway to a good life is well proven by the success of past MiraCosta graduates.  We hope that MiraCosta College will continue to successfully serve young people for another 80 years.” 

This scholarship is for students at MiraCosta College with a 2.5 GPA or greater who demonstrate financial need.
Qualified candidates must be former foster youth planning to continue at MiraCosta College and enroll in six units or more.

The LaVerne Schlosser Endowed Scholarship was established by the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club to provide much needed financial support to generations of students interested in studying horticulture and/or environmental science. Preference for the scholarship is given to graduates from the San Dieguito Union High School District.
 
The Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club recognizes LaVerne Schlosser's continuing efforts to support and promote the goals of the Club as she has been an active committee chairperson and director on the Club's board. Over the years, LaVerne has been a visionary member who has led efforts to support MiraCosta College as well as organize the annual gifts of flowers to the Marine Corps Hospital at Camp Pendleton. The Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club today is a stronger organization because of LaVerne Schlosser's dedication and talent.

The Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club was formed in 1926 to beautify the community, but has evolved to be much more than their original purpose. They are located in the heart of historic Rancho Santa Fe and are involved in all things Rancho. They are a friendly and dynamic group and welcome those who would like to get involved in community activities. 

As the MiraCosta College Foundation Executive Director, Linda Fogerson was committed to helping ensure that students, no matter their economic lot in life, could get a college education. The MiraCosta Foundation supported more than 1,400 students with scholarships, free textbooks, free computers, and emergency financial assistance, while also spending more than $615,000 in support of college programs. Since she was named to the post, the Foundation secured more than $11.2 million in grants and donations while doubling the size of its endowment to $6.6 million, building the Foundation’s total assets to more than $8.8 million. The growth has enabled the Foundation to spend $4.5 million in support of the college’s students, academic programs and priorities. “I love fundraising because the results are so tangible, students get help to pay their fees, buildings are enhanced and new academic programs are launched,” Fogerson said. “We are committed to helping students who may not otherwise have a chance to finance their education. They’re working while trying to pay their way through school. I find it very gratifying to work on behalf of our students.”
 
Fogerson didn’t initially plan for a career in philanthropy. After graduating from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and political science, she worked for three years at the Ventura County Star-Free Press before using those same skills as a press secretary for Assemblywoman Lucy Killea. She left that job after three years to serve as external affairs coordinator for the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UC San Diego.
 
It was while she was at UC San Diego that Fogerson found her calling as a fundraiser for worthwhile causes. Fogerson was responsible for philanthropic giving at Cal State San Marcos for nearly a decade before moving to MiraCosta College in 2005.  Linda retired from MiraCosta College in December 2016.

The Linda S. Blair scholarship was founded by MiraCosta College associate business faculty member, attorney Louis N. Milstein in conjunction with the law firm Casey/Gerry in memory of Linda S. Blair, a wonderful and dedicated legal administrator who devoted her life to the betterment of society through the practice of law. The primary purpose of the scholarship is to acknowledge and reward select students who have shown an ability and desire to pursue their dream in the legal field in some capacity.
Pictured from left to right above are Tom Luneau, attorney/partner at Casey/Gerry, Eva Covarrubias, inaugural scholarship recipient, and Louis N. Milstein attorney, associate professor of Business 140 at MiraCosta College.

A licensed nurse, Lucy served from 1957 to 1964 on the Oceanside-Carlsbad School District’s board of trustees – the body which then managed the elementary and secondary schools of both cities as well as the former Oceanside-Carlsbad School Junior College, later renamed MiraCosta. She was a member of the committee that worked to divide the Oceanside-Carlsbad School District into separate entities, and she was on the committee that selected the College Boulevard site for MiraCosta. Lucy continued her service as a MiraCosta College Governing Board member until 1977.
Lucy was also a member of the MiraCosta College Foundation from the time it was formed in 1966. She served as the first and second Vice President of the Foundation and was actively involved on the Foundation’s fund-raising committee for the recently constructed Student Center at the Oceanside campus.  Lucy Hoskins' lengthy service to MiraCosta College will be long remembered. 

Mara enrolled at MiraCosta College following high school where she became a star athlete. She competed in cross country and track and in 1982 and 1983 she was named MiraCosta College’s Woman Athlete of the Year. After graduating MiraCosta College, Mara attended California State Northridge where she won the NCAA “All American” honors in cross country.
Mara’s life ended short at the age of 21 in a car accident. While she was attending school she was saving money to make a trip to visit her father’s home in Riga, Lativa. It was her trip savings that began her endowed fund, to which her parents established it in 1985. Mara was a special woman with a big heart and her parents felt sure she would have wanted her savings to be used to provide scholarships to female athletes. This endowment forever keeps Mara’s memory alive, and is a wonderful tribute to her and students who receive the award.

Scholarship criteria:  Student must be receiving a California College Promise Grant (CCPG), have completed 24 or more degree applicable units, have stated career goals, enolled full-time (12 or more units) with a 3.0 GPA or higher. .

The Martin Broad Scholarship was established by Tina Jones and David Broad, in loving memory of David’s brother, Martin. Both Tina and David are from Great Britain where Martin was from as well.
David cherishes the memories he has of his younger brother, Martin, to whom he was a protective companion. At the age of 8, Martin passed away from leukemia, which for young David forged within him determination to vanquish the enemy that took his brother. David pursued his goal at the University of London, earning a B.S. and Ph.D. in microbiology, and during his long career in biopharmaceutical industry, dedicated his efforts to developing and producing cancer treatments. Martin’s memory will live on for generations by students who receive this scholarship endowment.

The Doris Peoples and Mary Alice Bryant Nursing Scholarship, was founded in 2011.  Doris and Mary Alice were both raised in small towns in Pennsylvania in the 1940’s and 50’s. After they graduated from high school, they both went to the same nursing school at a time when not many African Americans were given that opportunity to pursue their dreams of becoming a professional.  Both became RN’s.
Doris spent many years as a psychiatric nurse and Mary Alice as a nurse anesthetist.  Both are known for their skillful nursing, extraordinary compassion, loving smiles, and generosity with their time and talents to the whole community -- no wonder they have been best friends for more than 60 years and have positively impacted many, many lives.
 

Bill and Connie support three OSHER scholarship for MiraCosta College students.

The Milstein Family Honors Scholarship was founded by attorney Louis N. Milstein, MiraCosta College associate business faculty member, and is funded by his family's philanthropic fund.  The Elliott & Elyse Milstein Philanthropic Fund was created with seed funds by Dr. Milstein’s parents, Nathan and Esther Milstein, and his aunt, Dr. A. Freda Milstein.  The fund, as its name implies, is now funded and managed primarily by his brother, Elliott A. Milstein, president and CEO of Biopelle, Inc., of Ferndale, Michigan, and his wife, Elyse Milstein, who is involved in numerous charitable causes for small children in need.  The primary purpose of the Milstein Philanthropic Fund is to award and assist people in need and to promote academic excellence.  As a way of combining both goals, the fund supports numerous scholarships for students of high academic standing who are in need of financial assistance to allow them to pursue their academic and professional goals.
When attorney Lou Milstein became a faculty member at MiraCosta in 2012, he presented a plan to the directors of the fund to create the Milstein Family Honors Scholarship, a scholarship where worthy MiraCosta business/law students could benefit while pursuing their dreams in their chosen fields. The board accepted his plan and we are hopeful that this scholarship will be available to benefit those students for many years to come.

The MiraCosta College Horticulture Club gathers students interested in the study of the art and science of cultivating plants. Students in the horticulture program and club have the chances to learn unique methods to horticulture such as floral design, landscape design, and wine studies. The Horticulture Club allows students to participate in outside classroom activities such as industry tours, internships, trips, and participating in local competitions such as the PLANET Student Career Days and the San Diego County Fair. The Horticulture Club and Program seeks to raise students and the community’s awareness and appreciation for the beauty of horticulture. 

MiraCosta College Cares! is a campaign that was launched two years ago, through the generosity of an anonymous donor who contributed $15,000 in matching funds to establish a payroll giving campaign and MiraCosta College Cares! Scholarship Endowment. 

The donor asked us to first recognize the generosity of faculty and staff that have gone above and beyond their official responsibilities to enrich the campus community by financially supporting student scholarships and college programs and then to encourage others to join them by offering a one year payroll giving match. Today, over 200 faculty and staff donate to scholarship funding through payroll giving. The Foundation thanks employees and pays remembrance to our anonymous donor who promoted payroll giving by delivering MiraCosta Cares! Cookies on Valentine’s Day.

This endowed scholarship is one supported with love from faculty, staff, and friends of the college who support higher education.

MiraCosta College Academic Senate supports two scholarships:

• MiraCosta College Academic Senate Endowed Scholarship
• MiraCosta College Academic Senate (OSHER) Scholarship

The MiraCosta College Academic Senate was created in 1963, and is among the oldest Community College Academic Senates in the state. In the late 1970’s the colleges Academic Senate helped develope a collegial governance process that became a model throughout the state. The Academic Senate was confirmed as the college’s primary voice with the passage of AB 1725 in 1988. Since then the MiraCosta College Academic Senate has been a great influence in the college’s curriculum and seeking student need.

The Associated Student Government supports scholarships for MiraCosta students: 

• Community Learning Center Endowed Scholarships
• MiraCosta College Associated Student Govenrment Endowed  Scholarships (OSHER)

The goal of the Associated Student Government (ASG) of MiraCosta College is to give a voice to all students on campus.  The ASG allows students to be active in the campus community by promoting student life, diversity, and learning outside of the classroom. Students gain experience in leadership, communication, event planning, marketing and more. Positions are available to fit the interests of individual students.  The ASG supports student clubs & organizations on campus through the Inter-Club Council.  Students can come to the ASG to present concerns or suggestions about issues, and ask for them to be implemented or addressed.
The ASG meets weekly to discuss Student Senate business and take action to achieve its goals.  The ASG provides representation and activities for students at all three campus locations: Oceanside, Community Learning Center and San Elijo.

Scholarships offered through the Classified Senate: 

• Michael Holladay Memorial Endowed Scholarship

• MiraCosta College Classified Senate Endowed Scholarship (Osher)

• MiraCosta College Classified Senate Employee Scholarship

MiraCosta College is one of only a few community colleges in California that does not have a collective bargaining unit, i.e. unions.  They have maintained a collegial atmosphere throughout the years because of a mutual trust and respect between the staff and administration.
The Classified Senate is the official employee group for most classified professionals at MiraCosta College. The Classified Senate of MiraCosta College is comprised of diverse, committed, professional staff that support and reaffirm the college’s mission. The Classified Senate began in 1973, when the classified staff was asked to select a permanent representative to be part of the President’s Council, so that the concerns and interests of the classified staff could be voiced. This was the beginning of the Classified Employees Association (CEA), which was voted to be changed to Classified Senate. In 1978 the first by-laws were approved by the MiraCosta College Board of Trustees in which the purposes are stated as so, to facilitate communication among the classified senate and the administration, the faculty, and the Board of Trustees. To participate in the development and formation of policy and practices as they relate to activities and functions of the classified staff. And to make recommendations to the administration and the Board of Trustees on all matters determined pertinent. Alongside caring for faculty and staff of the college, the Classified Senate also supports students striving to gain a higher education.

 

Each year in May, the garden club holds its annual “Mission Hills Garden Walk, Beyond the Gate” event, which is the primary and largest fundraiser for the Mission Hills Garden Club. Funds generated from this event are used to beautify the Mission Hills community and provide horticultural scholarships and internships at community colleges. Among other projects, the Garden Club sponsors the hanging flower baskets in the Mission Hills business district and also supports the flower wall mural on Goldfinch just south of Sutter. Grant School and many other local school gardens receive grants and supplies from the Mission Hills Garden Club.  Beyond the Gate homes include a variety of landscapes that will inspire all garden enthusiasts.  Their goal is to present to you a diverse group of landscapes and to show all possible options for your own gardens. You will see interesting uses of succulents, perennials, and tropical plants at the homes, large and small. The range of homes includes large estates, cottages, and homes on canyons with amazing views. Visit their website for information www.missionhillsgardenclub.org.

"Looking for an investment with the greatest return, Agatha and Mort Winski chose to help students who had the odds stacked against them."

Mort and Agatha Winski first arrived to MiraCosta College the summer of 1994 with intentions of providing funding to “university” students. They were not familiar with community colleges and their unique mission within the structure of higher education. Mort and Agatha were willing to learn more about community colleges and were intrigued that they could provide support to students of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and ages. They were especially impressed that many of the students attending MiraCosta were first generation college students and that many had to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to attend school. They decided to start providing scholarships to students who were academically bright but economically disadvantaged. Mort and Agatha held annual receptions to meet their scholarship recipients, because they truly cared for those who they were providing educational opportunities. Even after their time, Mort and Agatha are still rewarding scholarships to well deserving students such as you. 

Eligibility criteria: 

This is a renewable scholarship that awards $500 per semester (fall and spring) with a maximum of $2,000 over four semesters.
Qualified candidates are students at MiraCosta College with a 3.0 GPA or higher, who plan to continue full-time at MiraCosta, and have financial need.
Renewal is based on meeting the stated criteria of maintaining full-time enrollment with a 3.0 GPA or higher each semester.

 

Eligibility criteria:

This is a renewable scholarship that awards $500 per semester (fall and spring) with a maximum of $2,000 over four semesters.
Qualified candidates MiraCosta Colleger students with a 3.0 GPA of 3.0 or higher, who plan to attend full-time at MiraCosta, and have financial need.
Renewal is based on meeting the stated criteria of maintaining full-time enrollment with a 3.0 GPA or higher each semester.

Natalie Vermilyea had been a resident of Carlsbad since 1942 when she and her husband moved there from Omaha, Nebraska. She became known by many of the locals as the “first lady of Carlsbad” because she witnessed the city begin with fewer than 3,000 people become an incorporated city, in 1952. She soon became the cities first paid employee, not before she volunteered her work and time to ensure the city had enough money to grow. She then transferred to the police department and served as a dispatcher. When the Oceanside-Carlsbad Junior College opened, she enrolled in criminal justice classes and continued on with her education, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree at San Diego State University. Although she was busy with work and school, she still managed to raise eight children, all of whom graduated from college. She wanted to give students the same opportunity to education as she was able to have, so she established this endowment herself, hoping that this endowment would spark students interest and excitement in law enforcement.  

Dr. William Foran served MiraCosta College for 22 years as MiraCosta’ Vice President of Student Services, as well as a teacher and a coach beforehand. He was a dedicated supporter of the college and helped establish the Medal of Honor Program, which is MiraCosta College’s most prestigious award given to hard working students. Bill also founded the Oceanside Pacific Kiwanis Club where he promoted philanthropic investments in education as young as elementary school. This scholarship was established by the Oceanside Pacific Kiwanis Foundation to remember Bill’s great work in creating and supporting organizations that make a difference in students’ lives and the community. This scholarship continues to be funded through the generosity of the Oceanside Pacific Kiwanis Foundation, which recognizes the difference an education makes in a student’s life. 

Phat and On Ha are first generation immigrants from Vietnam. Phat, who was a pilot in the South Vietnamese Air Force, received his flight training in the United States between 1970-1971 at Lackland, Randolph, Keesler, and Lockbourne Air Force Bases. On was seamstress by trade and was a manager for an overseas clothing manufacturer.  On April 29, 1975, the day before Saigon fell to the Communist regime, Phat and On escaped the country with their 18 month old daughter, Thao, in tow. After months at a refugee camp in Guam, they were processed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and were sent to settle in San Antonio, Texas. By 1978, Phat and On had two more daughters and a son, and resettled in Houston, Texas, where they currently reside today. Phat found work as a machinist, and On started a company called OP Distribution which manufactures surgical eye patches and other textile goods. Today, they run the company together and manufacture surgical products which are distributed around the world. Their eldest daughter, Thao, is a Professor of Sociology at MiraCosta College. Their three other children are working professionals and live in Texas as well.

Osher Scholarships are made possible by a generous commitment from The Bernard Osher Foundation, which donated $25 million to the Foundation for California Community Colleges to establish an endowment providing permanent scholarships to California community college students. Thanks to this generous commitment, and the generosity of MiraCosta Foundation donors, we will be able to award scholarships to students like you every year.  The Osher Foundation established this endowment to support students who demonstrated a commitment to completing their education and who have financial hardships making it difficult to pay for college.  This scholarship is intended to help you reach your educational goals and the Osher Foundation stipulates that scholarship funds be used for educational expenses including textbooks, lab fees, uniforms, tools, and other equipment required by your course of study.

Scholarship criteria:  Student must be receiving a California College Promise Grant (CCPG), have completed 24 or more degree applicable units, have stated career goals, and have a 2.0 GPA or higher.

Patricia Rudolph, also known as “Mother Cardiff” as she was known in her adopted hometown, was an extraordinary woman, community activist, and leader. Following high school she traveled the world as a stewardess, and then later as a Special Events Director, for United Airlines. After spending a lifetime of working around the world, she found “home” in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. She dedicated herself to her community, protecting its character and nurturing its growth. Pat was passionate about fighting injustice and intolerance, and helping those in need. Some of her contributions to her community included adopting MiraCosta College’s San Elijo Campus as it was being established. She served on the college’s advisory board for many years, where she developed her devotion for hard working responsible students. Pat made provisions in her estate plans that created this endowed scholarship, leaving a lasting legacy on MiraCosta students. 

 

Scholarship criteria:  Student must be receiving a California College Promise Grant (CCPG), have completed 24 or more degree applicable units, have stated career goals, a 2.0 GPA or higher, majoring in Dramatic Arts and/or Theatre Arts.

Ruben F. Rodriguez served in the Vietnam war where he gave his life for his country. Unfortunately, his son Troy was just a young boy and did not get the chance to grow up with his father. The Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship was established in loving memory by his son to assist MiraCosta College veterans.

Romayne was born in 1928 with an interest in the outdoors, inventing, exploring, and building projects. Throughout his life, he spent several years in churches working with young people and Sunday Schools nationwide. He married his wife Alma in 1955, and together they built a long-fulfilled life. Romayne received his B.A. from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, and his M.A. from Pepperdine College in Los Angeles, California, his Ed.D. from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and lastly received his Ph.D. from International University of Poway, California. Romayne was a Professor of Psychology at MiraCosta College for 37 years, where he was loved and respected. He also served as a counselor but opted to teach full-time. He and his wife Alma established the El Camino Preschool in Oceanside and were active members of the Carlsbad Kiwanis Club. An avid traveler, Romayne, and his wife traveled to over 100 countries and sailed on 76 cruises. Romayne was known for his big personality and his humor. To receive this scholarship is an honor to carry on Romayne’s legacy.
 

The Sadatrafiei Scholarship was created by Amir Atefi, an Iranian American born in San Diego, California, in honor of his grandfather, Jamal Sadatrafiei, to carry on his legacy of education-based philanthropy. 
Jamal Sadatrafiei was born on January 21, 1932 in Shiraz, Iran. A few years before he was born, his father lost all of his financial assets during the worst recession in Iran's history. In order to help his family survive financially, Jamal dropped out of school at the age of 8 and began working for up to 7 hours a day. Jamal's contribution allowed for his family to meet their financial needs and for his siblings to attend school.  While Jamal never went back to school, he would study his siblings' books at night after work and eventually taught himself how to read, write, and perform advanced algebra. He continued to excel on the job and eventually went off to establish a sizable real estate development operation, and become one of the most respected businessmen in Shiraz. He never stopped supporting his parents and siblings. 
When Jamal started his own family, his children’s education was his first priority. He encouraged his children to study Iranian poetry, history, and always held them to a high standard. However, many of his daughters got engaged and married before they ever had the opportunity to attend college. In 1982, Jamal's 3rd daughter, Nikoo Sadatrafiei (Amir's mother), was married to and started a family with Hossein Atefi shortly after graduating at the top of her class in high school, and therefore was unable to go to attend college. She always dreamed of getting her Ph.D. 
In 1979, Jamal bought two acres of land in his hometown of Shiraz and built a K-12 all-girls’ school. Despite enduring another economic recession set off by the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Jamal refused to accept any money from the City of Shiraz or private donors for the construction of the school. Jamal eventually donated the “Educational Institute of Jamal Sadatrafiei" to the City of Shiraz in 1984 and cut the ribbon on the first day of school. Today, this school continues to be the largest all-girls’ school in Shiraz and is very well regarded for its consistently high academics and integration of technology.
Jamal envisioned an Iran where women can transcend social restraints and ascent into the the highest positions in the country's business and political environment. While Jamal could not send his daughter Nikoo to college right after high school, the Sadatrafiei Institute has since sent over two thousand young Iranian women to some of the nation's and world's best collegiate institutions with over 85% of graduates attending higher education. 
To appreciate his outstanding donation to his hometown, every year on the first day of school, the City of Shiraz honors his generosity with a military march, musical performances, and the opportunity for him to give a speech to the new girls entering the Sadatrafiei Institute that year.
Nikoo Sadatrafiei eventually took night courses at a local community college, was admitted to San Diego State University where she earned her BS in Psychology, and eventually went on to achieve her dreams of earning her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant University in 2014. 
 

This scholarship is for students at MiraCosta College with a 3.0 GPA of higher and demonstrate financial need.
Qualified candidates must be students planning to continue at MiraCosta College and enroll full-time (12 units).  Priority given to those with financial need.

Colonel & Mrs. Donald C. Sloan (Helen and Don) were born on farms in Iowa and met while attending Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Don served 33 years in the Air Force. His duties during WWII included leading the 38th Service Group in England, North Africa, and Italy. Helen’s talents included the gift of being able to play the piano by ear. She loved learning and was an excellent word game and puzzle solver. The Sloans were married for 51 years and raised 2 children. Don and Helen felt strongly about helping others, and their hope would be that this scholarship will enable students to learn and to define their dreams.

Dr. & Mrs. G.W. Robertson (Wally and Irene) met when they were in high school and married after Wally graduated from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin and McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. Wally was an avid golfer and dedicated to equality for all persons throughout his life. Irene Robertson was a stay-at-home mother to the four Robertson children. She was a choir alto, a Sunday school teacher, and a "second mom" to hundreds of teenage girls in her senior high girls dinner groups over many years in East Lansing, Michigan. The Robertsons were married for 61 years before Wally died at 85 in 1999. Irene lived to be 97 before she died in 2012. They both valued education and they would be pleased to know that MiraCosta students are being helped in their memory.

Scholarship criteria: Student must be receiving a California College Promise Grant (CCPG), have completed 24 or more degree applicable units, have stated career goals, a 2.0 GPA or higher, and majoring in Dramatic Arts/Theatre Arts.

Stephen “Hap” L’Heureux, a fourth generation Californian and longtime Carlsbad resident, theater lover and patron, established this endowed scholarship to promote, encourage and develop students who desire to pursue a career in the theater.
While serving as the longtime President of New Village Arts Theater in Carlsbad, he grew to appreciate and understand that theater is magic. It makes the written word visible right before your eyes, but this does not happen without enormous hard work and passion. The sacrifices and dedication made in time and effort by those both behind and on the stage is a real testament to their passion for their craft. As a longtime supporter and subscriber to the Mira Costa College Theater, he hopes that this scholarship will serve in a tangible way to help insure that theater arts in America grow and thrive. One way to do that is to develop the next generation of performers and theater leaders today.

This scholarship is for students at MiraCosta College with a 2.5 GPA or higher who demonstrate financial need.
Qualified candidates must be physically disabled students participating with Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS), planning to continue at MiraCosta College,  and enroll full-time (12 units).  




 

Theresia Heyden is an extraordinary woman who has a life story that could be written into a bestselling book.
This former German countess, nurse, pilot, prisoner of World War II and philanthropist spends her time and resources to alleviate suffering children in war-torn countries and paves a financial path for students to earn a nursing degree at MiraCosta College. Her affinity for nursing stems from her lifelong nursing practice, in World War II she served as a battlefield nurse, and has volunteered as a nurse practitioner for the World Health Organization.
She has touched lives through her work as a nurse and continues to touch lives of students aiming for a career in health care. At the age of 90, Theresia is still going strong and continues to promote others to act as she has, in saving others’ lives. 

The Trans* Pride Scholarship has been created by a coalition of faculty, staff, and students concerned with traditional and historic barriers to higher education for transgender* and gender nonconforming students. They are actively fundraising for the scholarship through employee payroll deduction and through the Gay Straight Alliance student club's events such as the annual Queer Cupcake Party. ​ 

*Transgender: A person whose gender identity and/or expression is not aligned with the gender they were assigned at birth. “Transgender” is often used as an umbrella term encompassing a large number of identities related to gender nonconformity. Gender Nonconforming: A descriptive term and/or identity of a person who has a gender identity and/or expression that does not conform to the traditional expectations of the gender they were assigned at birth. People who identify as “gender nonconforming” or “gender variant” may or may not also identify as “transgender.”

This scholarship is for students at MiraCosta College with a 2.0 GPA or higher wjho demonstrate financial need. Qualified candidates must identify as transgender and/or gender nonconforming or as a friend/ally to the transgender and/or gender nonconforming communities, planning to continue at MiraCosta College in six or more units or transfer to a 4-year institution in the fall.
 

Umoja, (a Kiswahili word meaning unity) is committed to enhancing the cultural and educational experiences and increasing the persistence and retention rates of African American and other students. Our Umoja community actively serves and promotes success for all students through a curriculum responsive to the legacy of the African and African American Diasporas. The Umoja Community seeks to educate the whole student – mind, body, and spirit. Informed by an ethic of love and its vital power, Umoja will deliberately engage students as full participants in the construction of knowledge and critical thought.
Student Benefits:

• Learn what it takes to succeed in college and in life, along with making new friends to start college.
• Opportunity to attend Umoja sponsored conferences and regional symposia
• Career, academic, and personal counseling.
• Peer Mentoring
• University visits
• Cultural Experiences
• Opportunity to develop leadership skills in a supportive environment
• Access to Umoja Community scholarships (MiraCosta and statewide)
• Take part in curriculum and teaching practices that empower and increase self-efficacy.

Gabriel Waite's passion for Art and Media Arts & Technologies, combined with his support and gratitude of the sacrifices members of the military and their families make for their country, is the inspiration for this scholarship.
Gabriel's love of art began early in elementary school, followed him throughout his life, and eventually led to his earning a Bachelor's Degree in Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design from San Diego State University. He continues to have a successful and rewarding career and looks forward to helping others achieve the same.
The scholarship is tailored to veterans, active military and their dependents who are majoring in Art or Media Arts & Technologies.
 

The family of William “Bill” Litwiller created this scholarship fund as a way of remembering a husband, father, and granddad in a way that exemplified the high value that he placed on higher education. Bill credits the opportunities that became available to him to his pursuit of education, which included a 4-year degree in Agriculture and Education from Iowa State University and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Maryland.  His degrees opened doors and, just as importantly, opened his mind to the possibilities of a life neither his parents nor grandparents could envision.  

This scholarship is for students who are currently enrolled at MiraCosta College with a GPA of 2.5 or greater and demonstrate financial need.  
Student must qualify for the Study Abroad Program offered by MiraCosta College and intend to enroll as a full-time student, or in a minimum of 9 units, while studying abroad.
Preferred but not required; student intends to return to MiraCosta College to continue studies.