The Allan Hancock College Foundation awarded 240 scholarships totaling $200,000 to 194 top students on Thursday, May 23.  Nearly 900 students, relatives, friends, donors and community members attended the college’s 33^rd annual scholarship banquet in the AHC sports pavilion.  Scholarships ranging in amounts up to $5,000 were awarded to students from all parts of the Central Coast, from Solvang to Harmony.

(L-R) Dr. Ann Foxworthy - AHC Superintendent/President, 
Aurea Dominguez - Marian Hancock Recipient 2002,
 Karen Chandler - Former Marian Hancock Recipient

In keeping with tradition, the Santa Maria Elks #1538 once again sponsored the Santa Maria-style barbecue for the scholarship event, and the Allan Hancock College Associated Student Body Government hosted the banquet.

The theme for the annual scholarship event was “Community Supporting Community.”  A total of 113 donors from the community awarded scholarships to both returning and transferring students through the Allan Hancock College Foundation scholarship program.

The top scholarship winner was Aurea Dominguez of Santa Maria, who received the prestigious $5,000 Marian Hancock Scholarship.  The scholarship is named for Marian Hancock, the wife of Capt. G. Allan Hancock, for whom the college is named.  During her life, Mrs. Hancock was a staunch supporter of the college and the scholarship program.  She also established the G. Allan Hancock Award, which is presented to the same scholarship recipient at commencement.  Aurea, the first generation of her family to attend college, is a 22-year-old student who emigrated from Mexico 10 years ago.  She will transfer this fall to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a 3.74 GPA, majoring in liberal arts.  Her goal is to become a junior high school math teacher.  Aurea was the top student in her algebra class, demonstrating a natural teaching talent by assisting her fellow students that led to her work as an intern in the Community Teaching Fellowship in Mathematics and Science program at El Camino Junior High.  She has also worked as an instructional assistant at Adam School and she supports a local youth organization that raises funds for the economically disadvantaged.

Another substantial scholarship awarded for the sixth year at $5,000 was the Dorothy and Mark J. Smith scholarship.  The recipient was Sean O’Neill from Santa Maria.

Additional awards included the Burns Rick and Maxine Rick Memorial Scholarships.  This year it supported 19 students for a total of $12,500.  The Donald and Joan Semelsberger Scholarship, which was established to support students from the Lompoc area, was also awarded.  A total of $7,000 was awarded to seven individual students from Lompoc at $1,000 each.

The recipient of the $2,500 Jan Severson Scholarship was Stephanie L. Gardner of Santa Maria.  The scholarship is named in honor of Jan Severson, a former longtime member of the Allan Hancock College Board of Trustees.  Mrs. Severson and her husband John are strong patrons of the arts and longtime supporters of the college’s Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA).  The scholarship was created to support a PCPA student transferring to continue his or her studies in theatre, in either the technical arena or in the area of performance.

Jacob Zacarias Memorial Scholarship
(L-R) Sophia Zacarias, Richardo Jarmarillo (recipient), 
Ambar Alvarez (recipient), Gabriel Zacarias, Hilda Zacarias

The Santa Maria Elks #1538 transfer scholarships were awarded to two students in memory of Ernest Righetti, Sr.  Each scholarship is $2,000.  The recipients were Lisa L. Araujo and Will J. Brown of Santa Maria.  The Elks also awarded eight vocational scholarships at $500 each.  The recipients are Debra A. Garcia, Rachel M. Llamas, and Hilario Pastrana, from Santa Maria; Daniel E. Lamon and Angel A. Sahagun, Nipomo; Tessia N. Leister and Gina R. Munkres, Lompoc; and Kelly D. McCarthy, Santa Ynez.

The recipient of the $2,500 Jan Severson Scholarship was Megan Young of Santa Maria.  The scholarship is named in honor of Jan Severson, a former longtime member of the Allan Hancock College Board of Trustees.  Mrs. Severson and her husband John are strong patrons of the arts and longtime supporters of the college's Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA).  The scholarship was created to support a PCPA student transferring to continue his or her studies in theatre, in either the technical arena or in the area of performance.

The following additional new scholarships were established this year:

• Cynthia Lowe Memorial Scholarship -- 1 @ $250

• Deborah Peterson Inspirational Scholarship --1 @ $1,000

• Grace Rice Scholarship -- 1 @ $1,000

The following new endowed scholarships were established this past year and funded scholarships this year or will fund in May 2003.

• Justin Atkinson Humanities Scholarship

• Janice Dugger Nursing Scholarship

• Fred and Joie Knotts Memorial Scholarships

• Lahr Industrial Welding Scholarship 

• Nightingale Music Scholarship