Scholarships at California State University, Stanislaus recently received a welcome boost with a gift of nearly $900,000 from the Cronkite 1993 Trust, established by the late Juanita Cronkite.

Juanita Cronkite and her husband, Earnie Cronkite, were well established in Stanislaus County. Earnie Cronkite served as media director at the E. & J. Gallo Winery for more than 30 years. He passed away in 1992.

A native of Merced, Juanita Cronkite lived in Modesto for 77 years. She worked as a clerk for Stanislaus County for 15 years. She passed away in October 2002. The Cronkites designated their gift for scholarships and financial aid.

“The best investment in the long-term future of our region is in an early outreach scholarship program to encourage students to prepare for college long before they arrive on our campus and help them financially once they are admitted,” said Dr. Marvalene Hughes, president of CSU Stanislaus.

The Cronkite Trust gift allots nearly $400,000 to benefit an established early outreach scholarship program in Stockton, the Stockton Eighth Grade Initiative (SEGI), which President Hughes established in 2000 to benefit students graduating from Stockton’s public high schools. A new counterpart in Stanislaus County will be introduced. The larger portion of the gift - $500,000 - will provide vital seed money to create a perpetual endowment named the Cronkite Stanislaus Eighth Grade Initiative (Cronkite SEGI).