SoCalGas Awards More Than $80,000 in Scholarships Over the Next Three Years to Inland Empire and Imperial County Students Pursuing Higher Education
Over 85 percent of SoCalGas scholarship recipients are minority students majoring in STEM, accounting and finance
LOS ANGELES—June 30, 2022– Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced nine students from San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Imperial County who have been awarded funds from the 2022 SoCalGas Scholarship Program. The recipients will receive scholarships eligible for renewal for the next three years totaling over $80,000 in available funds. For the first time, the utility has partnered with Scholarship America® to provide multiyear scholarships for students studying science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), accounting or finance. Scholarships are eligible for renewal for the next three years totaling over $300,000 in available funds. The students were evaluated on their academic achievements, community involvement and personal statements addressing the utility’s sustainability actions in support of California’s clean energy goals. With 87 percent of this year’s recipients identified as minority students, SoCalGas’ scholarship program continues to help create new opportunities for diverse and underserved scholarship recipients.
“A college education is often a costly investment, and many of us experience certain daily hardships that may prevent us from reaching those goals,” said San Bernardino County Supervisor and Chairman of the Board Curt Hagman. “SoCalGas’ Scholarship program is one step forward in helping our students overcome those challenges and we’re committed to helping them attain new opportunities one step at a time.”
“I want to thank SoCalGas for always championing our people and helping open doors for many within our communities,” said Diahna Garcia-Ruiz, board president at Central Union High School District. “Year after year, I am amazed at what SoCalGas does for our communities. This is a tremendous opportunity for our students who lack financial support – these scholarships will aid them and help drive their future.”
“Our youth are the driving force of the future. The goal of our scholarship is to nurture this group and help build the important foundation that will help prepare them for professional opportunities and higher education,” said Andy Carrasco, vice president of communications, local government, and community affairs at SoCalGas. “We understand that rising educational costs can be stressful, and we want to help alleviate those worries as much as possible to allow our students a brighter future.”
Matthew Torre, a graduate from Patriot High School in Jurupa Valley who will be pursuing a degree in Management Science and Engineering with a minor degree in statistics at Stanford in the fall said, “I am truly honored to be selected for such a prestigious and generous scholarship. It has always been a dream of mine to attend a top University and to do so with the help of this scholarship, is a dream realized for me. I am proud to represent my community and SoCalGas as part of the Stanford Class of 2026.”
Krystal Flores, a graduate from Southwest High School in El Centro who will be pursuing a degree in Public Health at the University of California San Diego this fall said, “It’s an honor to receive the SoCalGas scholarship this year. It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I hope to accomplish all my dreams and goals at UC San Diego with the help of this scholarship in the next four years.”
The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship, tuition assistance, and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor, and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.
Since the program’s inception in 2001, the utility has awarded more than 2,200 scholarships totaling over $3 million in funding. Students who plan to attend a community college or trade school will receive a $1,000 scholarship and students who plan to attend a university, or 4-year college will receive a $5,000 scholarship. Awards are renewable for three years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first, on the basis of satisfactory academic performance for a total of up to $20,000 per recipient.
In 2021, the utility invested $2.3 million in educational programs with over $500,000 spent in funding towards scholarships for students throughout our service territory. SoCalGas’ Scholarship Program is part of the company’s ASPIRE 2045 sustainability goals to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and the communities it serves, including a commitment to invest $50 million to drive positive change in diverse and underserved communities over the next five years.
