Ventura College Foundation's 29th Annual Awards Gala Honors Nearly 250 Ventura College Students

    VENTURA, CA, May 14, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Ventura College Foundation awarded scholarships to 248 Ventura College students in April to help make their educational goals a reality. Nearly $500,000 in scholarships, ranging from $500 to over $10,000, was presented to student honorees by their respective donors at the 29th Annual Scholarship Awards Gala at the Ventura Beach Marriott.

Honorees represented each of the 10 cities in Ventura County, and included scholarship recipients from Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties.

Kendra Saunders and Cristina Tommeraasen, both of Ventura, and Deanna Garcia of Oxnard were honored with the top scholarship awards, each receiving $10,333 from the Mary Guthrie Teaching Scholarship. The scholarship benefits students planning to transfer to a four-year public university to become K-12 teachers. Amy Grossman of Ventura received $5,000 through the Aurora Loss Nursing Scholarship.

The James V. and Idah W. Iliff Memorial Scholarship awarded 26 students with scholarships up to $3,500. The Gene Haas Foundation Scholarship was given to 22 students, who each received $1,250. Southern California Edison honored 52 students with scholarships that included a focus on green jobs or encouraging women to study STEM fields. The amount ranged from $550 to $2,000.

"The scholarships have a great impact on the students' futures, enabling them to continue their education at a four-year university and to concentrate on school by reducing the financial stress of paying for 100% college and their household expenses," said Norbert Tan, Ventura College Foundation's executive director. "At the Foundation, we have been fortunate to work with generous community members who are important partners in helping us provide greater access to a college education for hundreds of students every year."

The Ventura College Foundation received 430 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.

Editor's note: Students receiving a scholarship of $2,000 or more are listed by city below.

Camarillo
Mia MacNeill
Erin Francis
Alyson Engstrom
David Rowe
Hanna Candell
Elya Spooner
Dayna Justice Klinshaw
Anita Tambat
Joelle Simangan

Carpinteria
Elias Pantoja, Jr.

Greater Los Angeles
Nathan Dunn
Susan Eselin
SB Tucker

Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks
Elizabeth Souza
Harindra Perumabaduge Wijesinghe

Oak View/Ojai
Maribel Robles
Theodore Brown
Tara Jorgensen
Brett Childs

Oxnard
Michael Golshani
Joanne Christine Garong
Diana Viveros
Jessenia Rosales Curiel
Dakota Brewer
Jasmine Siron
Elaina Crenshaw
Daniel Barboza
Rebeca Mendoza
Mark Torrez
Brian Herrera
Kiersten Smith
Bryana Perez
Shauna Hogberg
Ilse Maymes
Teersa Kramer
Victoria Anne Cambe
Darcy Glasstetter
Jordan Luberto
Daniel Chavez
Alan Du
James Nguyen
Elizabeth Vasquez
Corrine Perez
Jesus Ojeda
Carolina Espinoza
Lorraine Miramontes
Jeremy Snoberger
Sam Al Samet
Deanna Garcia
Benjamin Sayet

Port Hueneme
Jasmine Dominguez
Donya Bautista
Ekaterina Bikovtseva

Santa Paula
Julia Barrios
Robert Hammersley
Morgan Stewart

Simi Valley
Brittany Cox

Ventura
Jennifer Bays
Bryan SantaOlalla
Bridget Parrino
Monica Sanchez
April Michalski-Toth
Moussa Aboueid
Christine Duran Fujii
Scott Hamlet
Denise Wenger
Marc Yale
Gregory Carroll
Matthew Arriaga
Karl Blessum
Robert Woody
Valentina Cordoba Uribe
Scott Logan
Micaela Saunders
Carly Bell
Jonathan Weiser
Shanti Sandosham
Shannon Pompa
Kelani Wagstaff
Pamela Jackson
Amanda Bailey
Juan Quinonez
Donald Adams
Courtney Redford
Carolyn Ruffino
Heather Van Steen
Hayley Woods
Chelsea Lazzeri
Ashlyn Weatherford
Jia Wiebe
Edaan Byle
Keaton Garibaldi
Crystal Cardiel
Fabre Brooks
Marshall Laminen
Quinn Cotter
Amy Grossman
Jason Shefferd
Jessica Clay
Kendra Saunders
Cristina Tommeraasen

Established in 1983, the Ventura College Foundation provides financial support to the students and the programs of Ventura College to facilitate student success and grow the impact and legacy of Ventura College as a vital community asset. The Foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Marketplace, an outdoor shopping experience held every weekend on the Ventura College campus east parking lot. For more information, contact Norbert Tan at (805) 289-6160 or [email protected]. Also visit http://www.venturacollege.edu/foundation, and the Foundation on Facebook and Twitter (@VC_Foundation).

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