Student Scholarships

Two CSU Alums Give Support to President’s Scholars

California State University, Long Beach alumnus Thomas Corbett, and his wife, CSU San Marcos alumna Carolyn Corbett, donated $100,000 to CSULB to establish the Thomas and Carolyn Corbett Presidential Scholar Endowment, benefiting top-performing President’s Scholars.

The President’s Scholarships program is the most prestigious merit-based scholarship awarded by CSU Long Beach. The idea behind the scholarship – and the title of President’s Scholar – is to reward and foster academic excellence by making a very special scholarship and educational opportunity available to the state’s best and brightest students.

Innovative Commitments, with an Ocean View

Joel and Dena Gambord both came from modest upbringings, together building a portfolio of real estate holdings in California. With roots in California’s central coast, the Gambords have retired in Pebble Beach – minutes from California State University, Monterey Bay – and maintain a strong interest in improving access to public education, entrepreneurship and nursing programs for the Central Coast’s future generations.

This past year, Joel and Dena Gambord made another incredible commitment to their educational interests through a $10 million gift to CSU Monterey Bay – the largest philanthropic gift received in the university’s 22-year history – which is supporting two faculty endowed chairs and a student scholarship and entrepreneurial fund. The gift is also supporting students and faculty in the CSUMB College of Business, the School of Computing and Design, nursing program – and all students with a deep interest in entrepreneurship.

To honor the generous legacy of the Gambord family, CSU Monterey Bay recently named a new 58,000 square foot building in honor of their gift and dedication – the Joel and Dena Gambord Business and Information Technology Building.

A Powerful Gift to Honor Two Lifetimes

Lupe Compean is not a graduate of San José State University, but believes very strongly in the mission of the CSU and the importance of education. Born in Texas in 1926, Lupe and her late husband, Ramiro, moved to San José in 1956. Ramiro worked for a construction company, and together, he and Lupe saved money to purchase their first home. Later they continued to buy commercial and residential properties throughout the Bay Area.

Lupe wished to share her decades of success in real estate with a $15 million commitment to San José State, which will create several endowment funds focused on supporting foster student success, scholarships for emancipated foster youth – the Guardian Scholars, a merit scholarship for high-performing students, and support for the Student Union.

Lupe Compean made her gift to support students and demonstrate that with hard work and diligence, anyone can achieve what she has. To honor her generosity, San José State recently named the Ramiro Compean and Lupe Diaz Compean Student Union, in recognition of Lupe and Ramiro’s powerful legacies of service and leadership

Founding Universities, Ensuring Legacies

California State University Channel Islands honored Richard Rush, its founding president, at a farewell dinner held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. President Emeritus Rush officially retired in August 2016 following many decades of service to the CSU and its San Diego, San Marcos and Channel Islands campuses.

With President Reagan’s famed Air Force One as backdrop, business, education and community leaders joined students, faculty, staff, alumni, administrators and friends of CSU Channel Islands to celebrate the founding legacy of President Rush, while also raising over $119,000 to support scholarships and programs on campus.

STEM Scholars Gain Advantage

STEM Advantage renewed its commitment to California State University, Dominguez Hills through a $225,000 pledge to continue supporting a scholarship, mentorship and internship program for students majoring in the STEM fields.

The program launched in 2012 with nearly 50 students selected as STEM Advantage Scholars and has since benefited from the support of STEM Advantage. Program scholars gain relevant and practical work experience through paid internships at leading companies and develop technical, communication, problem solving, collaboration and critical thinking skills.

Scholars also receive one-on-one mentoring to support personal and professional growth and build confidence, knowledge and experience through hosted workshops.

Remembering Tom and Helene Lytle, Forever Keelhaulers

As a California State University Maritime Academy alumnus, Tom Lytle (‘56) was a regular at events on- and off-campus, involved in the CSUMA Alumni Association and was even known to attend commencement ceremonies each spring. Tom, along with his wife Helene, were founding members of Cal Maritime’s Golden Bear Society, consisting of friends of the academy who make legacy gifts of $25,000 or more.

Sadly, Helene passed away in 2014, and Tom passed a year later. Yet, their legacy – and their deep passion for Cal Maritime – lives on through the Thomas F. Lytle and Helene E. Lytle Scholarship Endowment, created by a significant gift from their estate to help support future generations of cadets.

“My dad felt that the education he received at the Academy was top-notch, particularly in mathematics which helped him prepare to become a navigator on the U.S.S. Vega,” said Tom and Helene’s daughter, Anne Harry. “It was important to my parents to give back to the schools that gave them the strong foundation to succeed.”

One Purpose, Many Paths

California State University, Stanislaus’ One Purpose annual scholarship campaign completed year two of its efforts to raise support for student scholarships. Spearheaded by a team of 125 volunteers, One Purpose raised over $400,000 in 2015-2016 for student scholarships.

Humboldt State Alumna and Emeritus Professor Support Music Education

Humboldt State University received over $100,000 from two donors to support music education. Retired educator and alumna Virginia Carder and emeritus music professor Charles Moon each contributed over $50,000 to endow new music scholarships.

The Carder Music Scholarship will provide a minimum of $1,500 annually to a music student with a passion for string instruments, while the Charles L. Moon Scholarship will provide two $1,000 scholarships annually to one gifted piano student and one music theory student.

Honoring Beloved Professors, Rewarding Academic Passions

Humboldt State University alumnus Larry Westmoreland established the Larry Westmoreland Honored Professor Scholarship, a commitment that will award five scholarships over the next five years paying tribute to different beloved professors – and their academic passions – on campus. The scholarships will be awarded to a student majoring in the discipline taught by the honored professor.

For Larry Westmoreland, the honored professor scholarships are a way to help students pay for college, while also recognizing the professors who helped shape his – and hopefully the scholarship recipient’s – life and career.