ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´

Dawn Pickering Memorial Endowed Scholarship

An Orange County native and former professional dancer who traveled the world, Dawn Pickering brought her signature light and creativity to the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ family starting in January 2013. For nearly a decade, her incredible organization, attention to detail, and deep love for ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ students shone through everything she did. Following her courageous four-year battle with cancer, Dawn passed away in March 2023. This scholarship was lovingly established by her colleagues, family, and friends to carry forward the legacy of a remarkable woman who brought so much joy, laughter, and celebration to our campus.

Delgado Family International Scholarship

Christina Delgado has devoted her career to supporting international students to achieve their educational goals. Their dedication to their studies in pursuit of an American degree is inspiring. International students have limited access to financial aid in the U.S. and it is hoped this award will help a deserving ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ student continue their studies. This scholarship is established in memory of Christina’s wonderful mother, Sharon Delgado, who shared a love of learning about cultures and valued the importance of education.

Dolores Huerta Endowed Scholarship

Frank Marmolejo, retired ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ faculty member, understands the unique challenges that first-generation Latinx students face. He started this scholarship as a way to support and encourage students from similar backgrounds to pursue their academic dreams.

Dr. Donald L. & Sandra F. Rickner Endowed Scholarship

Don and Sandy Rickner helped found and grow ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ through its first nearly twenty years, from 1982 until 2000. They were and are dedicated to the mission of ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ including the crucial role scholarship support plays in the lives and success of ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ students. This was an integral part of their time at ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ as Don was the founding executive director of the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ Foundation.

Dr. Sanjai Gupta Math Endowed Scholarship

This scholarship recognizes the tremendous impact Dr. Sanjai Gupta is making for ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ STEM students in mathematics. Many students would not have advanced so far and so well without his talent to blend excellent instruction, a little humor, classroom civility, and encouragement. This scholarship is awarded to a promising STEM student with financial need.

Dr. Shugnak L. and Ruth L. Kim Endowed Scholarship

Dr. Kim was dedicated to his family, his faith and pursuit of knowledge. After completing his studies in Korea he immigrated to the U.S. and was the first Asian to earn his PhD from the Dallas Theological Seminary. His family followed him to the U.S. and he and his wife Ruth raised their six children. He became the Pastor of the Korean Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles where he was a major influence on the Korean community. Ruth ran a strict household and she also worked in the garment industry in downtown Los Angeles. She taught her children to value hard work and education. The values of hard work, commitment to education and dedication to pursuing goals were passed along through the Kim family.

Dr. Stephen Rochford Endowed Music Scholarship

This scholarship was created to honor Dr. Stephen Rochford’s lifelong impact on the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ Music Department. During the 27 years that Dr. Rochford taught at ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´, he interacted with hundreds of music students. Most developed a lifelong passion for music, some went on to have careers as professional musicians, and others followed in his footsteps as music teachers. Not only did he impact a large number of students, but he also knew that to build and maintain the quality of the program he would need to secure funds from outside sources and, through this, became an excellent fundraiser. Through his efforts, and those who followed in his footsteps, the department now has the largest endowment on campus.

Dr. Xiaoqing Chen and Dr. Gary Rybold Endowment for Excellence in Communication

Dr. Gary Rybold taught and coached in the Communication Studies Department at ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ for 30 years. During his tenure, he coached the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ Speech and Debate team to 18 national championships. Dr. Xiaoqing Chen was a debate coach in the People’s Republic of China when Dr. Rybold had a sabbatical to teach in Xi’an. They fell in love and were married in 2001. This U.S./China connection extended to educational opportunities with over 130 ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ students and faculty participating in debate activities in China. Both Gary and Xiaoqing did their doctoral research in China.

Drs. William and Barbara Jay District Trustees Endowed Scholarship

William Jay, Ed.D. spent most of his educational career at SOCCCD. He held many administrative offices including president of Saddleback College, vice chancellor of human resources, and math faculty member. After retiring, he was a trustee for ten years before his passing. His wife Barbara Jay, D.D.S., was selected and then elected to take his place as a trustee. This scholarship was started to carry on their work of supporting community college students.

Dwight Collins Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Dwight Collins enjoyed a fulfilling career teaching computer science at ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´. He loved teaching and supporting ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ students along their educational journeys. As one of the faculty who joined the college in the early 1980s, he also helped set the cornerstones which enabled the college to grow into what it is today.