Ow Family Awards 135 Scholarships to Attend Cabrillo College
Annual ‘American Dream’ Scholarship Ceremony Recognizes Achievements of Local High School Students
APTOS, CA – A few weeks ago, American Dream Scholarship recipients, their families and supporters were recognized for their achievements at the American Dream Ceremony on Cabrillo College’s Aptos Campus. For 24 years, George Ow, Jr. and his family have been providing American Dream Scholarships to local ethnic minority and disadvantaged high school seniors enrolling at Cabrillo College. Since 1989, the Ow Family has awarded more than $426,000 to 977 graduating high school students coming to Cabrillo. This year the Ow Family has awarded a $500 scholarship per student to a total of 135 students, the highest number of scholarships ever awarded in one year. It is just one of the many ways the Ow Family has supported students and mission of Cabrillo College over the years.
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American Dream Scholarship recipient, Alejandro Chavez-Guerrero recently graduated from Watsonville High School and looks forward to attending Cabrillo. At Cabrillo, he plans to become part of the honors program and then to transfer to San Jose State University to study computer engineering. At the ceremony he addressed the audience and shared his appreciation to the Ow family, “The Ow family makes you believe that education is possible. They plant the first step in our long journey to the top. I know I’m still far from my goal but I am ready to take the challenge, I will not deceive, I will not steer left nor right, but will maintain on the road ahead. I want to finish school to have better job opportunities, for a better life and for a better tomorrow.”
Ow knows the power of education. His parents emigrated from China. They first lived in Monterey then settled in Santa Cruz, where they owned a family grocery store. Ow and his six brothers and sisters worked at the store. After graduating from high school in 1960, Ow received an A.A. degree from Monterey Peninsula College (younger siblings would attend the newly established Cabrillo College). He also holds a B.A. degree in marketing from San Francisco State University and an M.B.A. from U.C.L.A.
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When his father, George Ow, Sr., died in 1970, Ow, the oldest child, took over the management of the family’s real estate business. Ow has continued his father’s philosophy and legacy of contributing to the community. The Santa Cruz area has greatly benefited from the Ow family’s contributions.
The American Dream, says George Ow, is “that you can come from humble beginnings and become anybody and anything that you work hard and smart enough at; and when you become…you shall assist others.”
“In my years of experience with several different community colleges, I have never known a program that comes close to the success of the American Dream Scholarship program that the Ow family has created to serve Santa Cruz County youth,” said John Hendrickson, Interim Cabrillo President. “It is the finest example of civic responsibility.”
Scholarship recipients include:
From Aptos High School:
Rosa Abreo, Victoria Ayyad, Stephanie Bell, Matt Bernard, Claudia Chavez, Wendy Chavez, Giovanni Cuellar, Roberto Lopez, Kayla Macias, Luz Areli Medina-Hernandez, Amanda Okamoto, Leidy Paramo, Deyanire Plascencia, denisse Regalda-Cisneros, Ruben Romero, Samantha Rudisill, Martina Serpa, Jose Sotelo-Rodriguez, Margarita Toledo, Alejandra Torres, Chloe Tsudama, Francine Turner-Keener, Ryan Wingo
From Costanoa High School:
Alanis Vienola
From Cypress Charter High School:
Jessica Sanders
From Delta Charter High School:
Edgar Castillo and Keenan Conway
From Freedom Community High School:
Priscilla Esparza
From Harbor High School:
Jason Aban, Jillian Aban, Maria Avalos-Romero, Yuqi Chen, Maria Flores, William Galvan, Melissa Garcia, Erick Gonzalez, Ana Gonzalez-Torres, Qinglan He, Wenjin Hu, Dima Loutfi, Edwin Puga, Vincente Serna-Estrada, Patrice Williams, Ying Hua Wu.
From OASIS Independent School:
Nandi Nivens
From Pajaro Valley High School:
Sandra Aguilera-Zavala, John Alvarez-Zamora, Jesus Arellano, Gerardo Carlos-Mora, Karen Garcia-Marin, Alberto Juarez-Perez, Daniel Lazaro, Ramon Longoria, Christian Lopez, Angelo Manalili, Karina Perez-Alfaro, Jazmin Ponce, Miguel Rodriguez, Itzel Suriano, Esperanza Villarruel.
From Renaissance High School:
Duice Arguello, Brian Calamateo, Martin Contreras, Sandy Cruz, Sergio Diaz, Jesse Diego, Jonathan Fernandez, Crystal Gomez, Saul Martinez, Nancy Martinez-Rocha, Erik Melchor, Andrea Mendoza, Rosalina Olvera Rios, Eduardo Rocha, Aaron Romero, Sandy Vera.
From Santa Cruz High School:
Jesse Bridges, Leslie Calixto-Lomeli, Jessica Carrera-Lopez, Samantha Gervacio, Cy'rae Hatfield, Edgard Martinez, Olivia Owens, Geremy Sabado.
From Santa Cruz County Office of Education:
Miguel Alfaro, Denise Avalos-Colimote, Eliseo Ayala, Eduardo Garcia, Alexander Heredia, Annais Ibarra-Espinoza, Maria Lopez, Edgar Medina, Luis Medina, Adrianna Navarro, Damion Pena, Kevin Perez-Garcia, Julian Pina, Karina Rodriguez, Francisco Torres, Alicia Urbieta-Islas, Luis Vazquez-Lopez.
From Scotts Valley High School:
Kelcey Correa and Mariana Rodriguez
From Soquel High School:
Omar Marquez, Omar Martinez, David Salinas. Osbaldo Zambrano.
From YES School:
Precious Steeves and Zachary Henry
From Watsonville High School:
Juan Alcantar, Rosa Arellano, Jaqueline Bonilla, Daisy Chavez, Alejandro Chavez-Guerrero, Lizzet Diaz, Maribel Escamilla-Ramos, Nancy Espinoza, Ana Garcia, Jeanette Garcia, Cristian Garcia, Lesly Gutierrez, Estefany Heredia, Alan Heredia-Vazquez, Caria Huichapa, Jessica Lara-Benavides, Jessica Lopez, Yolanda Luna, Daniela Martinez, Chloe Mendoza-Alvarez, Lorena Rocha, Francisco Rocha-Martinez, Adriana Sanchez, Rosa Sanchez, Liliana Vega, Mariela Zamora.
