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Neighbor News

Celebrating Excellence in Education

Honoring 68 Scholarship Recipients

The Ed Fund, West Contra Costa County’s Public Education Fund, managed an extremely competitive scholarship application season this year. A total of 243 applications were received and reviewed by 66 volunteers to choose the top students with the grit and passion it takes to succeed in college and give back to their community. With the generous support of College Futures Foundation, Irene S. Scully Family Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, Schroeder Family Foundation, and Whittier Educational Foundation, $160,000 in scholarships will be awarded over the next academic year to 68 West Contra Costa Unified high school seniors to realize their college dreams.

The 2015 scholarship recipients from the West Contra Costa Unified School District will be honored and celebrated at the Ed Fund’s 27th Annual Soaring to Excellence Celebration on Thursday, April 30 from 6:30-9:00PM at El Cerrito High School’s Performing Arts Theater at 540 Ashbury Avenue in El Cerrito. One of the highlights of the evening will be hearing from two of the scholarship recipients speak to how they overcame all obstacles to become college-bound students. Tickets are $25 per person. To purchase your ticket, visit the Ed Fund website at www.edfundwest.org or call Zuhair at 510-233-1464.

You can also make a donation in tribute to a student to the Help a Student Soar to Excellence campaign at https://www.crowdrise.com/edfundscholarships/fundraiser/edfundwest. The campaign will culminate the night of the event.

Find out what's happening in El Cerritofor free with the latest updates from Patch.


Full list of 2015 Scholars

Find out what's happening in El Cerritofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

College Futures Foundation

Carlos Arauz-Hernandez, Kennedy High School

RaTrail Armstead, Kennedy High School

Lavonia Bobo, El Cerrito High School

Monet Boyd, El Cerrito High School

Saidy Brizuela, Richmond High School

Casina Butler, Kennedy High School

Astrid Flores Castillo, Richmond High School

Matthew Chamberlain, Middle College High School

Quincy Chapple, Pinole Valley High School

Alexis Garcia, Pinole Valley High School

William Garcia, Pinole Valley High School

Evelyn Corral Gonzalez, Richmond High School

Alexander Hagan, De Anza High School

Tyler Ho, Pinole Valley High School

Richard Howard, Vista High School

Tareke James, De Anza High School

Michael Jameson, Richmond High School

Jose Jimenez, De Anza High School

Latisha Katigbak, Hercules High School

Luis Ledesma, Leadership Public School - Richmond

Maggie Li, El Cerrito High School

Alfred Machacon, De Anza High School

Kenyatta Marcelous, El Cerrito High School

Christian Medina, Richmond High School

Andrea Munoz, Pinole Valley High School

Adrian Navarro, Richmond High School

Linda Ngo, De Anza High School

Luis Nunez, Kennedy High School

Francisco Ortiz, Kennedy High School

Mareiana Pembrook, El Cerrito High School

Cristina Pham, De Anza High School

Hannah Pham, Richmond High School

Yann Picouleau, Pinole Valley High School

Martin Ponce, De Anza High School

Andrew Preston, Richmond High School

Eva Arias Ramirez, Middle College High School

Serena Saelee, Middle College High School

Kimiko Satterfield, Middle College High School

Jay’La Donaville Smith, El Cerrito High School

Kimaree Solomon, Hercules High School

Nasario Sylvester, Kennedy High School

Ashley Tejada, Middle College High School

Keith Thomas, El Cerrito High School

Juliana Valencia, Leadership Public School - Richmond

Vanessa McMillon Vanbuskirk, Hercules High School

Deisy Villalobos, Richmond High School

Hero Vo, De Anza High School

Akeilah Ward-Hale, El Cerrito High School

Frederica Webster, De Anza High School

Brandon Wong, Hercules High School

Maria Zavala, Middle College High School

Ed Fund

Nanette Thompson, El Cerrito High School

Roberto Vega, Richmond High School


Irene S. Scully Foundation

Joan Binalinbing, Kennedy High School

Antonio Gonzales-Romero, Richmond High School

Dennis Pimentel, Richmond High School

James Irvine Foundation

Chi Chung, Hercules High School

Jing-Yi Chung, Hercules High School

Jasmine Gill, De Anza High School

Maria Nunez, Leadership Public School – Richmond

Jesus Pedraza, Richmond High School

Justin Rodriguez, El Cerrito High School

Brittany Tran, Pinole Valley High School

Schroeder Family Foundation

Lauren Darnell, El Cerrito High School

Jomoris Stewart, El Cerrito High School

Whittier Educational Foundation

Luis Perez Rodriguez, Kennedy High School

Daniella Vela, El Cerrito High School

Brizjon Wilright, De Anza High School

The Ed Fund

The Ed Fund, West Contra Costa’s Public Education Fund, was founded in 1983 in response to the decline in funding to public education caused by the passage of Proposition 13. The Ed Fund is an education nonprofit serving the entire West Contra Costa Unified School District, which spans the five East Bay cities of Richmond, El Cerrito, Hercules, Pinole and San Pablo. It is committed to providing the funding and strategic partnerships needed to close the opportunity and achievement gap for our students.

Since its founding in1983, the Ed Fund has provided more than $3 million in funding to enrich education for West Contra Costa Unified School District students. By the end of its 27th year, that funding will have provided more than 782 grants to teachers and schools, 134 Teaching Excellence Awards, more than 12 years of after school programs at district middle schools, hundreds of music and arts programs at all grade levels, dozens of summer scholarships to enable students to attend summer camps and workshops, and more than $1 million in college scholarships. The tax identification number is 68-0005307. www.edfundwest.org.

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