Cox Charities surprises 9 deserving Orange County and Palos Verdes high school seniors with scholarships on a video call
$35,000 awarded to graduating seniors who have demonstrated a commitment to the community and achieved academic success
It was a day of anticipation as Cox Charities Advisory Board members signed onto a video call to surprise high school seniors with scholarships to help cover college costs. For the second year in a row, Cox Charities opted to virtually announce 9 recent high school graduates from Orange County and Palos Verdes as the 2021 Cox Scholars recipients.
This year, Cox Charities awarded a total of $145,500 in scholarships to 34 students statewide. Cox Charities is the philanthropic arm of Cox Communications and is funded by employee donations, matched by Cox, and overseen by an advisory board of employees who volunteer their time. The donations are used to support the community in the form of scholarships and nonprofit grants. Statewide, Cox Charities has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships since 2000.
“The class of 2021 Cox Scholars are exceptional in their resiliency and adaptability due to the pandemic and excelled in their commitments to their communities,” said Sam Attisha, Senior Vice President and Region Manager for Cox Communications in California. “What an amazing group of hard-working students and community innovators. Cox is a company founded by a teacher and on the principle of continued innovation and we are proud to help these students thrive.”
Meet the 2021 Cox Scholars
The students were selected based on their academic success, community service, leadership, and commitment to their education. The 2021 Cox Scholars for the Orange County and Palos Verdes regions are:
- Lauren Cho (Palos Verdes Peninsula High School) is attending University of California, Los Angeles.
- Amanda Duffy (St. Margaret’s Episcopal School) is attending Dartmouth College.
- Brenda Galvan (San Juan Hills High School) is attending Claremont McKenna College.
- Kowoon Jeong (Irvine High School) is attending University of California, Los Angeles.
- Anika Lima (Tustin High School) is attending University of California, Los Angeles.
- Abigail Maemoto (Palos Verdes High School) is attending Stanford University.
- John Reid (Dana Hills High School) is attending University of California, Los Angeles.
- Wilson Su (University High School) is attending University of California, Irvine.
- Yashlyn Villarrubia (Port of Los Angeles High School) is attending California State University, Fullerton.
Cox Charities Advisory Board members invited students to participate in video calls to learn about the college they’ll be attending in the fall, their major and the career they’ll be pursuing. Each student also shared with board members the impact that a scholarship would have on them and their families. The students were unaware at the start of the calls that they had already been selected as a Cox Scholar and were surprised and excited to learn that Cox would be awarding each of them with a scholarship for college.
“The passion these Cox Scholars show for academics and volunteering in their community is very inspiring,” said Cox Charities Orange County and Palos Verdes Advisory Board Member Marc Connell, Direct Sales Supervisor. “It is good to know that our future leaders have a tremendous work ethic, as well as a passion for giving back to their local community. I am fortunate to work for a company that values and supports these students on the next chapter of their educational journey.”
Cox Charities awards college scholarships to graduating high school seniors across our California service areas, including Orange County, Palos Verdes, San Diego, and Santa Barbara. These Cox Scholars are pursuing careers in a STEM related field with a passion for giving back to their community. For more information on the Cox Scholars program, visit www.coxcharitiesca.org.
Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through technology. The largest private broadband company in America, we proudly serve six and a half million homes and businesses across 18 states. We’re dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities, and the characteristics that makes each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.
