OXNARD, Calif. — It took a prison sentence and nearly a decade away from school for Daniel Cisneros to realize his father was right. Now CoastHills Credit Union is helping to turn a dream into reality.
Getting an education is one of the most important opportunities in life.
So after being paroled, Cisneros enrolled at Oxnard College, where he pursued a certification in auto repair.
However, while Cisneros was plugging away on becoming a mechanic, he decided to try an algebra class. The realization of how much he enjoyed math was his gateway to a more challenging course load in chemical engineering.
Now, Cisneros is on his way to UCLA’s engineering program, having graduated from Oxnard College in May with a 3.64 GPA. He aims to become either a pharmacist or pharmacologist.
“I want to make my dad happy,” Cisneros said. “He passed away years ago, but he actually motivated me to go back to school. He always preached the importance of education to my brothers and me. When I get my degree, it will be in honor of his memory.”
Joined by fellow Oxnard student Laura Barajas, Cisneros is one of 18 regional community college students to receive the 2016 Gold Standard Scholarship Award from CoastHills CU.
The award grants $2,500 each to two students from nine colleges within CoastHills’ field of membership, which ranges from Santa Cruz County in the north to Ventura County in the south.
In all, CoastHills awarded $45,000 of scholarships to local college students and hosted each recipient and their guests at a special luncheon held at The Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach. An evening stay for each recipient at the five-star hotel were also provided by the credit union.
To honor the class of 2016, CoastHills also pledged to donate $216 in each recipient’s name to a charity of his or her choice to help each fulfill the credit union’s mission statement: “We make a difference in our neighbors’ lives.”
Supported by the CoastHills Community Foundation, the Gold Standard Scholarship program significantly expanded this year in both geographic scope and financial commitment.
It was the first year scholarships were awarded to students in all five counties of the credit union’s field of membership, which includes Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. And the awards were increased from $1,000 to $2,500.
It was also the first year that community college students received the awards.
“There’s no better investment our scholarship program could make than to support the hardworking and dedicated students found in the community college system right here at home,” said CoastHills President/CEO Jeff York. “Recognizing these students’ stories of triumph over adversity has greatly touched the lives of my entire family and all of us at CoastHills.”
Separately, the first donations have been made and CoastHills’“I’m All In” employee giving program has tripled projections since being introduced in December.
In the first quarter of the year, CoastHills sait it was proud to present three checks of $1,000 each to the Central Coast Rescue Mission, Central Coast Music Academy and Fairlawn Elementary in Santa Maria.
At the end of 2015, the CoastHills Community Foundation — the charitable fundraising arm of the credit union — announced that employees could elect to donate as little or as much money as they’d like from their own paychecks to support local causes. The funds would be pooled together, and once a quarter, a drawing would be held where the winner could donate to the cause of his or her choice.
Foundation Director Rebecca Alarcio initially planned to raise enough money to award a single $1,000 sponsorship per quarter. Putting their dedicated spirit of generosity on display, CoastHills employees blew that number away.
“I knew that CoastHills employees were all in on our mission to make a difference in our neighbors’ lives,” Alarcio said. “But I was truly astounded to find nearly every one of our 220-plus employees line up at our December all-staff meeting to sign up for the program — and do so without hesitation. They are making a personal commitment from every paycheck to give back to their communities. Honestly, I was choked up to see the outpouring.”
With a drawing set to take place for the second-quarter sponsorships later this week, here’s a look at the first three recipients and the employees that chose each organization:
Member Services Officer Jeff Aldridge & the Central Coast Rescue Mission Aldridge, who works at CoastHills’ Orcutt branch, was deeply affected by a volunteer visit to a rescue mission in Santa Barbara when he was just 13 years old.
“I remember talking to a guy. He was homeless, and he was so thankful that we took the day to come hang out and serve him food. That really stuck with me because we were kids that grew up in Vandenberg Village, and we didn’t have to worry where our next meal was coming from. And he didn’t have anything.”
Now living in Santa Maria, Jeff wanted to support a similar cause in his current community.
The Central Coast Rescue Mission is an 18-bed drug and alcohol recovery program. In addition to the recovery classes, the men enrolled also receive vocational training through a variety of volunteer activities. The Rescue Mission runs a thrift store, a food pantry that serves about 100 families and a commercial-quality kitchen that provides meals for the homeless and especially ramps up during the holidays.
“About half come off the streets and the other half come out of the courts,” director Larry Cooney said. “We want the judges to be able to say, ‘Man, I hope there’s a bed available because that’s where you’re going to get some help.”
Below, CoastHills Board of Directors Chairman Hugh Rafferty (far left) and President/CEO Jeff York (far right) at The Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach with scholarship winners.
Below, bottom, Oxnard College’s Daniel Cisneros stands with CoastHills Credit Union Board of Directors Chairman Hugh Rafferty (left) and President/CEO Jeff York (right) after receiving the Gold Standard Scholarship Award. Above right, Oxnard College’s Laura Barajas poses with Rafferty and York.