Alumni Association awards record amount, number of scholarships

By California State University, Bakersfield

May 27^th, 2021

The CSUB Alumni Association recently awarded $25,000 in scholarships to graduate students, the most it has ever given out in a single year and more than double what it gave last year.

The $2,000, $1,000 and $500 alumni scholarships, based on accomplishment, need and compelling personal story, were awarded to 21 students, which is also a record for the association.

The Alumni Association decided to go big on scholarships for the coming year knowing that the pandemic has taken a personal and financial toll on so many students and wanting to help them achieve their academic dreams.

“The 2020-2021 academic year was an especially hard year for all college students and our CSUB students were no exception,” said Nancy Solis, president of the Alumni Association and the human resources manager for Cintas in Bakersfield. “The need was greater as many students were laid off, had their hours reduced and saw their upcoming employment opportunities halted.”

The association awards scholarships to CSUB alumni pursuing their graduate degree on campus. This year it funded them with $7,586 in investment earnings from the Alumni Scholarship Endowment and an additional $17,342 contribution made possible by a strong fundraising year.

Despite the pandemic’s hit to corporate and individual wallets, sponsors, donors, ticket buyers and others continued to support alumni fundraising efforts this past year. The CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony, for example, raised an event-record $36,000 in February 2021. And Party at Your Place, the association’s virtual take on Party in the Park, raised more than $6,000 in November 2020 despite the main goal being to keep the 23-year tradition alive.

“The Alumni Association could not have awarded this many scholarships without the generous support of amazing corporate partners like Chevron, Wonderful and Valley Strong, or campus and community friends who continued to support our virtually delivered programs,” said Alumni Engagement Director Sarah Hendrick.

“We are incredibly grateful to them, their commitment to CSUB and their desire to see alumni succeed during and after college.”

Scholarship recipient Adam Jameson (bottom left) is all smiles when members of the Alumni Association Scholarship Committee deliver the news he’s been awarded an alumni scholarship.

The Alumni Scholarship Endowment was established in 1990 with a $5,000 gift. It has grown in value to $216,423 as of March 2021. It has allowed the Alumni Association to distribute nearly $80,000 in alumni scholarships since 2010.

This year’s scholarship recipients and their course of study are:

Veronica Jasso, $2,000, teaching credential.

Fernando Barrios, $2,000, teaching credential.

Adam Jameson, $2,000, teaching credential.

Natalie Velasco, $2,000, master’s in public administration.

Vanessa Zepeda, $2,000, master’s in special education.

Udelia Lopez, $2,000, teaching credential.

Paola Fernandez, $2,000, teaching credential.

Jessica Hernandez, $2,000, teaching credential.

Jennifer Welch, $1,000, teaching credential.

Mario Iniguez, $1,000, master’s in social work.

Jennifer Paulsen, $1,000, teaching credential.

April Parrish, $1,000, teaching credential.

Kaylee Born, $1,000, master’s in education administration.

Jaslyn Woolfolk, $500, master’s in curriculum and instruction.

Laurie Garcia, $500, master’s in social work.

Carrissa Runyan, $500, master’s in exercise science.

Melissa Reynoso, $500, master’s in nursing.

Lauren Miller, $500, master’s in nursing.

Osvaldo Abundes, $500, teaching credential.

Cheyenne Wilemon, $500, teaching credential.

Michelle Bridges, $500, master’s in special education.

The alumni office will publish profiles of several of these deserving students over the summer.

“All of our scholarship recipients are well-rounded students who have demonstrated their commitment to their education with strong GPAs, are pursuing careers that will directly support our communities, are involved in extracurricular activities and have demonstrated their financial need,” Solis said.

“Some of these students had us in tears with their reactions to the news they are receiving scholarships. Each of them had a unique story and knowing that made it special to share with them that the CSUB Alumni Association was here to support their educational dreams.”