Scholarship reception highlights the promise of education
On the morning of Aug. 17, a palpable sense of excitement filled the Visual Arts Building courtyard as more than 300 guests attended the ninth annual Scholarship Reception and Donor Appreciation Celebration, hosted by the Citrus College Foundation.
Under a large canopy, students, alumni, donors, and Citrus College faculty and staff enjoyed breakfast while being treated to a performance by the college music group, Night Shift, before the college superintendent/president offered opening remarks.
"The theme of this year's reception is, most fittingly, the 'Promise of Education.' Today, we are witness to those caring individuals who, through their generosity, have offered our students the promise of a brighter future through education."
Student Andrew Mendez and alumnus Manuel Ramirez then thanked donors and encouraged their fellow students to pursue their education to its fullest. In addition to dozens of existing scholarships, some worth thousands of dollars, two new scholarships were established for 2018–2019: the Management Team Promise Scholarship and the Terry R. Smith Scholarship of Excellence.
In total, $140,000 in scholarships were awarded.
"This event truly epitomizes everything a promise entails," the superintendent/president added. "As donors invest in our students, our students, in return, promise to commit themselves to the time, effort and diligence needed to excel academically in fulfillment of their educational goals. This is what a community college — and Citrus College — is about."
This article originally appeared in the October 2018 edition of the Citrus View.