By Andrea Gonzalez
East Los Angeles College students were awarded the Osher’s Scholarships, along with more than 100 other scholarship last Tuesday in the S2 Recital Hall.
Members of the Board of Educators, Honor’s Program, Counseling Department and other contributors to the scholarship fund were at attendance.
The ceremony began with the presentation of the scholarships by Martha Pelayo.
Members of the Board of Educators grant the scholarships to students who demonstrate financial need.
Organizations such as Circle K, San Gabriel Valley Boys and Girls Club and the Women’s Physical Education Department also granted several scholarships to students.
Phillip Cullen had the opportunity to explain what the Osher Scholarship is and how it came to be.
He explained that the Osher Foundation gave $25 million to establish the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment.
The foundation committed to create the largest scholarship endowment for a community college system in the whole country.
This scholarship will be given annually to students who meet criteria. The Scholarship grants $1000 per student and is divided in two parts: $500 is given for the first semester, and another $500 for the second semester.
The scholarship can be renewed for an additional year, so in total each student can receive $2000.
To qualify for the Osher’s Scholarship, students must have completed 24 units of degree-applicable studies, be enrolled in at least six units for the ensuing semester and qualify for a Board of Governor’s fee waiver.
The scholarship is only intended for students that demonstrate financial need, and students who have demonstrated a commitment to their education.
The scholarship recipients were of all ages. Several recipients were over the age of 40.
One of the recipients of the Osher Scholarship, Esther Vergara, said that applying for the scholarship was an easy process that took her about 15 minutes.
“The scholarship application is easy to fill out, there is only a few questions and students don’t need letters of recommendation,” said Vergara.
The ceremony concluded with applause and praise for all those dedicated students and their families.
The families had the opportunity to enjoy a reception prepared for them.
The reception was held outside of the Hall and the guests enjoyed snacks, desserts and drinks.
