Just as Brittney Martinez should have been winding down her high school career and focusing on prom and other rites of passage, her family life was changed forever by tragedy. Her father died earlier this year, leaving the family homeless and in shock. Today, Brittney is working hard to focus on the one constant in her life - education - and she moving on to California State University at Fullerton.
Phillip Pham also lost his father much too soon. Today, he's getting ready to start UCLA this fall, and feels each day his father's guidance and inspiration.
Jose Angel Portillo is also holding steadfast to his goal, even though he is homeless right now and worrying about his family's immediate future. Jose's goal is to be the first person in his family to graduate from college, and with his acceptance at California State University in San Bernardino, he is taking that first step on his educational path and making his mother proud.
Brittney, Phillip, and Jose are among 18 young men and women from East San Gabriel Valley high schools who will each receive a $1,000 Jean Marie Carpenter Scholarship from Kaiser Permanente's Educational Outreach Program in Baldwin Park. The scholarships are awarded based on the recipient's ability to overcome adversity and remain focused on their education.
The students will be honored at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 16, at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, 14635 Baldwin Park Towne Center in Baldwin Park. The keynote speakers will be Raul Rodriguez, dean of counseling and student services at Mount San Antonio College and Anthony Bejarano, attorney at law and councilmember of the city of Baldwin Park.
"These remarkable young people are all blazing individual paths in spite of the enormous obstacles they have had to overcome early in life," said Diana M. Bontá, PhD, RN, vice president of public affairs for Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region.
"These scholarships will provide financial assistance as they begin their college educations, and as other challenges come their way, we hope they will also be reminded that we believe in them," added Bontá.
Scholarship recipients include: Christian Gasca; Vanesa Garcia; Brittney Beacham; Jose Mora; Karina Rosas; Moisés De La Torre; Sabrina Schell; Chantel Diaz; Gabriela Monico; Aline Robles; Evelyn Valenzuela; Virginia Ramirez; Manuel E. Ramirez; Carmina Francesca Del Mundo; and Manuel Dancel.
The late Jean Marie Carpenter founded Kaiser Permanente's Educational Outreach Program, established numerous educational programs at the Watts Counseling and Learning Center, and served as president of the Baldwin Park Unified School District.
Kaiser Permanente's Educational Outreach Program provides academic and support services to primarily Latino and low-income youth in the San Gabriel Valley. It is one of the many community benefit programs and services funded by Kaiser Permanente as part of its more than $369 million annual Southern California commitment to improving the health of the community in which it serves.
Kaiser Permanente is one of the nation's leading integrated health plans. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region includes more than 55,800 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,400 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at www.kaiserpermanente.org.
