Today, Monday, April 19, San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE) will recognize the accomplishments of 150 career and college bound students at its 13th annual “Stars on the Rise” Scholarship and Awards Ceremony. The virtual event will take place live from the Educational Cultural Complex at 4:00 p.m.

More than $68,000 in scholarships and awards will be given to adult learners who plan to transition to career or college following their studies at SDCCE based on academic merit, leadership, and service to the community.

Scholarships and awards are made possible through the SDCCE Foundation, fundraising is supported through donors, administrators, faculty, staff, and community partnerships.

“The way SDCCE prepares every student for jobs is transformational. It actually changes lives,” said Laurie Coskey, Ed.D., Executive Director of the SDCCE Foundation. “Although we cannot be together this year, the meaningful impact of scholarships for our students cannot be measured and we could not thank our donors enough for their generosity.”

The SDCCE Foundation received a $400,000 bequest from the late former adjunct faculty member, Mr. William Rosen in February 2020. Rosen’s donation will fund scholarships and supports for students over the next four years — 2021 through 2025.

SDCCE is the nation’s largest noncredit institution for free workforce training and the fourth college of the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD), serving large populations of students who come from low-income communities and who need untraditional pathways to education.

Four scholars will receive the SDCCD Board of Trustees $2,000 Scholarship by the Christensen Foundation including: Shawn Dougall, Francisco Estrella, Linda Valdez-Lopez, and Amanda Viveiros. Two students will receive the Chancellor’s Scholarship: Bertha Covarrubias Cervera and Fran Pritchard. Each received $500.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, and Healthcare student, Cervera will use the Chancellor’s Scholarship toward transitioning to a SDCCD College. “After SDCCE, I would love to go to college to become a registered nurse. Seeing how much RNs helped me and my family during our numerous times in the hospitals inspired me. I want to give back and give my daughter a good life,” she said.

Twenty-five graduates will benefit from the San Diego Promise Scholarship, two years of tuition toward San Diego City, Mesa and Miramar colleges. SDCCE is the only adult education organization in the state with a Promise program that allows adult students who have returned to the classroom as adults 18+ to achieve a high school diploma/equivalency or workforce training and transition to college, other programs only offer the scholarship to recent high school graduates.