These 68 West County high school seniors will share $160,000 attending college scholarships

A bright pair of 68 students from West Contra Costa County’s public schools with share $160,000 in scholarships through the Ed Fund, that gives much-needed funding for local public education.

The 68 high school seniors were put to use using a competitive scholarship application process involving 243 applicants. Sixty-six volunteers reviewed the applications and chose the top students with “the grit and passion it takes to be successful in college and provide back in their community,” using the Ed Fund.

The $160,000 in scholarships is going to be awarded in the next academic year to highschool seniors headed university. The funds were furnished with support from College Futures Foundation, Irene S. Scully Family Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, Schroeder Family Foundation, and Whittier Educational Foundation.

The 2015 scholarship recipients will likely be celebrated for the Ed Fund’s 27th Annual Soaring to Excellence Celebration on Thursday, April 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at El Cerrito High School’s Performing Arts Theater at 540 Ashbury Avenue in El Cerrito. Tickets are $25 per person and could be purchased here or by calling (510) 233-1464.

Also, consider donating honoring each student to your Help trainees Soar to Excellence campaign here.

Full list of 2015 Scholars

College Futures Foundation

Carlos? Arauz-Hernandez, Kennedy High School

RaTrail Armstead, Kennedy High School

Lavonia Bobo, El Cerrito High School

Monet Boyd, El Cerrito High School

Saidy Brizuela,? Richmond High School

Casina Butler, Kennedy High School

Astrid Flores Castillo, Richmond High School

Matthew Chamberlain, Middle College High School

Quincy Chapple, Pinole Valley High School

Alexis Garcia, Pinole Valley High School

William Garcia, Pinole Valley High School

Evelyn Corral Gonzalez, Richmond High School

Alexander Hagan, De Anza High School

Tyler Ho, Pinole Valley High School

Richard Howard, Vista High School

Tareke James, De Anza High School

Michael Jameson, Richmond High School

Jose Jimenez, De Anza High School

Latisha Katigbak, Hercules High School

Luis Ledesma, Leadership Public School – Richmond

Maggie Li, El Cerrito High School

Alfred Machacon, De Anza High School

Kenyatta Marcelous, El Cerrito High School

Christian Medina, Richmond High School

Andrea Munoz, Pinole Valley High School

Adrian Navarro, Richmond High School

Linda Ngo, De Anza High School

Luis Nunez, Kennedy High School

Francisco Ortiz, Kennedy High School

Mareiana Pembrook, El Cerrito High School

Cristina Pham, De Anza High School

Hannah Pham, Richmond High School

Yann Picouleau, Pinole Valley High School

Martin Ponce, De Anza High School

Andrew Preston, Richmond High School

Eva Arias Ramirez, Middle College High School

Serena Saelee, Middle College High School

Kimiko Satterfield, Middle College High School

Jay’La Donaville Smith, El Cerrito High School

Kimaree Solomon, Hercules High School

Nasario Sylvester, Kennedy High School

Ashley Tejada, Middle College High School

Keith Thomas, El Cerrito High School

Juliana Valencia, Leadership Public School – Richmond

Vanessa McMillon Vanbuskirk, Hercules High School

Deisy Villalobos, Richmond High School

Hero Vo, De Anza High School

Akeilah Ward-Hale, El Cerrito High School

Frederica Webster, De Anza High School

Brandon Wong, Hercules High School

Maria Zavala, Middle College High School