Ventura College Students Receive
Scholarships at Awards Gala

Over $400,000 in scholarships was awarded to nearly 200 Ventura College students at the 27th Annual Scholarship Awards Gala on May 3 at the Ventura Beach Marriott. Awards ranged from $500 to $9,000 and were presented to recipients by their respective donors.

Top scholarship awards went to Giovani Bautista of Oxnard and Jimmy Ojeda of Ojai, who each received $9,000 from the Mary Guthrie Teaching Scholarship, which benefits students who plan to transfer to a four-year public university to become K-12 teachers. Also awarded was $8,000 each to Olivia Hernandez of Oxnard, Kim McDonald of Ventura, and Fernando Ramirez of Santa Paula as part of the Martin Hansen Family Scholarship fund for students transferring to a four-year public university.

 Alma Ramirez of Oakview was honored with a $2,000 scholarship to study science or the environment at a four-year university by the Westlake Village Garden Club. Ten students each received $2,000 from Southern California Edison for STEM Scholarships for Women, and the James V. and Idah W. Iliff Memorial Scholarship presented 22 scholarships ranging from $700-$4,000 each.

 Students whose scholarship donors have passed received their awards on May 9 at the inaugural Scholarship Awards Picnic.

 “Being able to honor scholarships recipients goes a long way in aiding student success,” said Norbert Tan, Ventura College Foundation’s executive director. “Alternatively, being able to bring donors face-to-face with their scholarship recipients encourages mentor relationships and offers them the opportunity to see the impact of their generous contributions.” 

 The Ventura College Foundation received over 400 applications for the scholarships, which honor students’ academic achievement or their chosen field of study. To be eligible, students were required to write two essays, have letters of recommendation and have achieved a high academic standing. Multiple volunteer readers from the college and foundation reviewed each application.

Scholarship winners from Santa Paula