CSEA Gives $1,500 in Scholarships

It’s no secret that college expenses can be tough to cover. That’s why the California School Employees Association (CSEA) Colton Chapter 244 recently awarded three college-bound students with scholarships totaling $500 each. The recipients include Colton High School (CHS) graduates Dani Orona and Linda Mena, and Citrus Valley High School (CVHS) graduate Laura Snowden. Orona will attend Chaffey Hills College and plans to study radio technology; Mena is looking to pursue a nursing degree at California State University Chico, and Snowden will begin her studies in creative writing at the University of California, Riverside. A school employees union representing about 900 non-teaching staff including custodians, secretaries, instructional aides, bus drivers and maintenance staff in the CJUSD, CSEA Colton Chapter 244 has been involved in the community for decades. This year they celebrated their fourth year of giving scholarships. Fundraising for these scholarships takes place year-round, shared CSEA Public Relations Representative and Scholarship Committee Member Amelia Villalpando, and events include comedy shows, dances, restaurant fundraisers, parties and more. “All the fundraising we do throughout the year goes back to these kids,” she said. Scholarships have been awarded for the last four years, she added, and came about when chapter members suggested that something be done to give back to their kids. With many members also currently attending higher education classes, they knew firsthand how tough covering college expenses could be. “We knew that sometimes getting financial aid could be hard, too, and we thought, ‘Why can’t we fundraise for our own?’ And then a majority of people said they would like to see it go to the children, so instead of raising money for chapter Christmas parties or things like that, we started giving the funds to the kids.” Scholarship amounts vary based on how much is raised in funding, shared Villalpando, and how many students apply for the scholarships. To be eligible for a scholarship, a parent or guardian must be a member of the CSEA Colton Chapter, the recipient must hold at least a 2.5 GPA, must submit a 500 word essay, and must have a letter of acceptance to a qualified vocational school, junior college, college or university.