By Jill Scofield

The thousands of Osher Scholars enrolled at California Community Colleges may have different goals, but all of their stories are compelling. Here are just a few of them.
 

Amanda's Story

A mother who dreams of helping hearing impaired children...

Amanda Abbott is the mother of three who dreams of changing the lives of deaf children. Inspired by her young daughter signing the word "beautiful," Abbott decided to learn sign language with her children. Through this experience, she knew that she would one day teach hearing impaired children, and perhaps even start a preschool for the deaf.

This bright young mother's dreams were almost put on hold when Abbott lost her job last year. Forced to choose between caring for her family and striving toward a better life, Abbott was ready to put off school for a while when she learned about the scholarships made available through the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment. Thanks to the funding, she has been able to stay in school and is encouraging her children to also look ahead to their futures.

"The best thing that will come from my education is not necessarily a great job, but the hope that my children will someday exceed my own accomplishments and level of education."
 

Rikiesha's Story

Overcoming homelessness to realize a dream...

Rikiesha Pierce isn't your average college student. After growing up in an abusive environment, she did everything she could to attend college and secure a brighter future. But going to college has not been without its struggles for Rikiesha, who was homeless during the first part of her college life and heavily relied on the help of much-needed financial aid and working while going to school.

Her sacrifices paid off--Pierce earned a 3.94 GPA at Mt. SAC, was a national champion on the college's Forensics Speech and Debate Team, and has been accepted to UC Berkeley.

"The Osher Scholarship enabled me to continue taking classes when I thought I would have to drop out. It's reassuring to know that there are people out there looking out for students like me. Thank you for your generosity and support."

In California, Pierce's struggles are all-too-familiar. On average, community college students work 23 hours a week to offset the ever-increasing cost of an education, leaving them with little time to focus on academics. Thanks to the Osher Scholarships, thousands of California Community College students receive additional support each year to go toward educational expenses like text books, uniforms, lab fees and other needs for the classroom.
 

Ira's Story

A love of learning that will one day change lives...

Ira Heinzen has some ambitious goals. Captivated by science since a young age, the San Joaquin Delta College student has always wanted to pursue a degree in the medical or engineering fields. When he learned how to use electron microscopes at Delta College, he discovered Material Science, which he is now studying with the hopes to one day enter a field that has made significant contributions to such life-saving innovations as the world's first artificial heart.

If he had not received an Osher Scholarship, Heinzen may have been forced to put his education on the backburner in order to work. With three other siblings also attending college, it was becoming more difficult to afford the cost of higher education. Raised in a family where the love of learning has always been encouraged, Heinzen was disappointed about the possibility of putting his educational goals aside due to cost.

Thanks to the $1,000 Osher Scholarship he received through the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment, Heinzen has been able to continue his education this year, bringing him one step closer to entering a field in which he will no doubt make an important impact on society.

"As I have discovered by receiving an Osher Scholarship, there are concerned, supportive people out there anxious to lend a hand."
 

Domenico's Story

Finding the true meaning of community at American River College...

With hopes of transferring to a four-year university after earning his AA, Domenico Scalzi is relishing his time at American River College (ARC) while looking toward the future with hope and enthusiasm. “I try to enjoy every day and live like it’s my last, and I also have a strong desire to always better myself as a person.”

In a sense, Scalzi has grown up in the community college system. His mother was a student at ARC as well, and now works there as a counselor and teacher. As a small child, Scalzi would go to the campus with his mother and attend the on-campus daycare center. Now that he is a student and football player at ARC, Scalzi says he finds tremendous support in the college’s staff, his fellow students, and his teammates.

Despite the supportive environment welcoming him at the campus, Scalzi was having at tough time balancing school work, athletics and the cost of attending college. Thanks to the Osher Scholarship he received, he is now able to put his education first.

“At a time when I am trying hard to establish myself as an individual and an adult,” he says, “this scholarship is another stepping stone that will help me reach the goals I have set for my life.”
 

Stephen's Story

A personal struggle leads to an educational epiphany...

East Los Angeles College nursing major and Osher Scholar Stephen Martin did not have a typical high school experience. After being diagnosed with meningoenchephalitis at the age of 12, he had three brain surgeries, which kept him out of school for nearly half a year. The illness also led to epilepsy, which prevents Martin from doing what many think of as everyday tasks like driving and exercising. Although he was accepted to Cal State Los Angeles and the University of California, Irvine, after high school, he chose to attend ELAC because its close proximity to home, and the challenging courses in his area of study.

Despite its setbacks, Martin's illness opened his eyes to the career for which he is currently studying. When he was diagnosed, he was profoundly inspired by the care he received from the nurses and the passion they showed for comforting patients. The experience led him to explore the possibility of becoming a nurse practitioner, a goal that he is closer than ever to achieving after maintaining a 3.91 grade point average at ELAC.

Martin is grateful for the Osher Scholarship and would keep his message to his benefactors simple yet heartfelt. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to receive this scholarship, which will help with my schooling and education. I am a hardworking and ambitious student, and even though I live with epilepsy, I still strive to be my best."