Gabilan Hope Scholarship Fund
The Gabilan Hope Scholarship Fund supports the higher education goals of academically superior students from migrant farmworker families in the Salinas Valley
Every year, the Gabilan Hope Scholarship (GHS) fund awards $2,000 university scholarships to each of four qualifying high school seniors graduating from Salinas Union High School District schools (SUHSD). The scholarships are renewable for $1,000 annually to award recipients who maintain a 2.5 GPA in college. Community College scholarships for $1,000 may also be awarded through the Gabilan Hope Scholarship, which is named for the Gabilan mountain range east of the Salinas Valley.
Renewable financial support from programs such as the Gabilan Hope Scholarship enables hard-working, underrepresented students to focus on their studies and achieve their college goals without having to incur any student loan debt.” – Blanca Baltazar-Sabbah, Ed.D. Associate Superintendent, Salinas Union High School District
“I believe that every student deserves a quality education that will lead to multiple post-secondary options, including pursuing higher education. This belief and my deep commitment to working toward equity is due to my personal experience as a former migrant student, language learner, and first generation college student,” says Blanca Baltazar-Sabbah, Ed.D. Associate Superintendent, SUHSD. She is a former migrant student and proud daughter of farmworker parents.
Impact
The scholarship’s recipients have attended and graduated from colleges that include U.C. Berkeley, Sacramento State, California State University, Monterey Bay, San Jose State, and Hartnell Community College, among others. These talented students work towards degrees in fields as diverse as aeronautical engineering, education, applied chemistry, nursing, agriculture, and computer science.
Support Gabilan Hope Scholars
- Donate directly and securely online
- Send checks made payable to “Community Foundation for Monterey County”
with “Gabilan Hope Scholarship Fund” in the memo line
Mail to: 2354 Garden Road, Monterey, CA 93940 - Make a gift of stock or other assets. Contact Christine Dawson, CFMC Vice President Philanthropic Services at 831.375.9712 x126.
Donations to the Gabilan Hope Scholarship Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) are tax deductible. The CFMC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization,Tax ID #94-1615897.
Student-Centered Approach
Selection Process
The selection process closely involves staff members of the SUHSD Migrant Education Program who assess and nominate qualified students for a GHS award. Student academic records, personal essays, teacher recommendations, and high school achievements are evaluated through a system of rigorous, objective guidelines.
Successful candidates must be the first in their families to be attending college, attain superior academic qualifications, demonstrate clear financial need, participate in well-rounded extracurricular activities, and show strong leadership abilities.
Multi-year Support
This scholarship program has been carefully structured to support the realities of student academic and financial needs. Each year, it is renewable for university students in good standing. This multi-year support matters because many students in higher education today face ongoing fiscal challenges throughout their college careers. The continual annual support of the Gabilan Hope Scholarship enables them to complete their studies and graduate.
This program awards scholarships to both university and community college students. Capable students often benefit from the support that a community college can offer them. In some cases, that support enables them to build the rigorous academic skills they need to transfer to four-year schools, and to succeed as first-generation college students.
Educator Involvement
The GHS is an educator-advised scholarship. The SUHSD Migrant Education Program and its Director provide careful and objective candidate assessment, as well as valuable insight. Two veteran college instructors, Holly Middleton, Ph.D. and Gregory Laskaris, M.Ed., work closely as advisors to the scholarship’s founding donor, Patrick Moyroud.
This committed team has built the Gabilan Hope Scholarship into a highly effective program in support of the academically talented children of migrant farmworkers from the Salinas Union High School District.
Background
The Gabilan Hope Scholarship was established in 2015 by a substantial donation from Patrick Moyroud, a veteran PBS producer who has made award-winning documentaries about the struggles of California farmworkers. His intention was to provide exceptional migrant students from often hard-pressed backgrounds with the opportunity to complete their undergraduate education by reducing financial burdens.
I was in my last year at the UCLA Film School, and decided to produce a documentary film on the effects of pesticides on farm workers. What I saw and experienced convinced me to do whatever I could to bring to light the difficult conditions that they faced.” – Patrick Moyroud, Founder, Gabilan Hope Scholarship
Details
Selection Process
Each year, staff members of the Migrant Education Program of Salinas Union High School District assess and nominate qualified students for four GHS awards. Student academic records, personal essays, teacher recommendations, and high school achievements are evaluated through a system of rigorous, objective guidelines.
Award
Four scholarship awards of $2,000 to university students, renewable annually for $1,000, up to four years per recipient.
GHS awards of $1,000 in some cases may also be made to qualifying community college students.
Selection Criteria
Being currently enrolled as a 12th grade Migrant Education student at one of the five high schools in the Salinas Union High School District;
Achieving a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
Having applied for admission to an accredited university or college as a full-time, degree-seeking, first year student.
Having demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in extracurricular activities, e.g. volunteering, community service, sports, clubs, committees, organizations, and/or work experience.
Having demonstrated the ability to overcome obstacles and challenges related to their migrant experience.
Demonstrating financial need and being a first generation family member to pursue a post- secondary education.
