Anniversaries have a way of focusing the mind on recent achievements and fixing their meaning in a broader context. They also have a way of sharpening one’s sense of gratitude.
With the second anniversary of my appointment as president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation having recently passed, I find myself marveling at the remarkable things this organization continues to accomplish, and its matchless legacy of helping local students and families. At the same time, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to be part of and contribute to the Foundation’s rich tradition of impactful education advocacy.
The new academic year is upon us, and thanks in no small part to the generosity of Scholarship Foundation donors, our recipients are headed back to classrooms nationwide. In May, the Foundation awarded scholarships totaling more than $7.7 million to 2,125 students throughout Santa Barbara County. That dollar figure is doubly noteworthy – impressive in its own right and an improvement of almost 9 percent over last year’s total. As I said last spring, “Our generous community supporters have given this organization an unequivocal vote of confidence in the form of increased donations this year, enabling the Foundation to award almost $600,000 more in scholarships than in 2024. This is cause for celebration.” Indeed.
I believe this year’s fundraising success is broadly reflective of the inroads we’ve made with various constituencies up and down the coast. The Foundation has made a point of forging new partnerships in the communities we serve, and it shows.
For instance, last summer the Scholarship Foundation expanded its innovative “Future Scholars” summer program, partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast, People’s Self-Help Housing, Lompoc Middle School, and El Camino Junior High School in Santa Maria to broaden instructional opportunities for area youth.
In the same vein, the Scholarship Foundation conducted beta testing of the latest Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in October and again last month. This complex undertaking involved collaboration with numerous educational institutions, advocacy organizations, and agencies over consecutive years.
I am also extremely proud of the Santa Ynez Valley Art Scholarship Competition and Reception, which we inaugurated last winter. An expansion of an existing Foundation program that has served South County high school seniors for 46 years, this new scholarship offering has met with an eager response in mid-county.
In each case, the Foundation has provided meaningful additional support to local students and families, and in the process has grown its community profile.
It goes without saying that challenges remain. Local students continue to encounter grave financial obstacles to attending and completing their studies, and higher education itself is facing serious cultural headwinds.
Community support for our work is more critical than ever. As I never tire of saying, Foundation recipients receive more than scholarship dollars. They receive the priceless gift of knowing that their community is openly advocating for them to succeed.
I remain inspired by all that we accomplish, the community members we serve, and the many enthusiastic supporters I have the privilege of interacting with on a regular basis. This is soul-sustaining work, and I am tremendously grateful and proud to have a part in it. As I wrote in this space last year, “To our many advocates in the community, I remain humbled by your generosity and compassion.”
A reminder: Our application for financial aid during the 2026-27 academic year opens October 15.
I look forward to another wonderful year of transforming lives at the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara!