2021 Scholarship Recipients

Jack Amos is sponsored by his Grandmother Purificacion Barin-Tanjuaquio. Jack graduated from University City High School, San Diego, CA, with a 4.58 GPA.

Quoting from his applicant statement, “Growing up in a household with both of my loving parents, I have become aware of the care and sacrifices they have made to provide both my sister and me a life full of opportunities.

Sports are my greatest passion and have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. The unpredictable and competitive nature of sports has given me many valuable life experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. At the start of my first season as Varsity Soccer Captain, my team struggled to achieve victories. As a leader among the players, I knew I had to swallow my frustrations, continue to display a restless attitude and strive for improvement. Setbacks like these not only require a good mindset to bounce back, they also open the door to innovation. In addition to training during weekdays, I encouraged the whole team to attend weekend training sessions, that I organized. These extra practices developed our skills and helped boost team morale, binding us closer together. Ultimately, the encouragement and hard work led the team to achieve their third consecutive league championship, which capped off a season filled with learning and growth. Playing sports in school is no small commitment.

Yet, an even larger level of effort must be maintained in the classroom. As much as I love sports, my academic achievements will always be the top priority. This major emphasis on education I possess, is derived from my grandmother. Already an established pediatrician in the Philippines, she continued to expand her medical expertise by taking residency training and interning at Princeton University. Her decision to gain more knowledge eventually guided her to founding her own pediatric clinic. Her success as a physician has also influenced my growing interest in the medical field. Due to my firm belief in education and my attraction to the sciences, I aim to pursue a Master’s educational degree or higher in a STEM subject.”

Jack’s Reference Report describes him as, “Kind and considerate to everyone, smart, mature, responsible and athletic. He often receives recognition for his personal and leadership skills, such as ‘Super Citizen’ awards in the Junior Lifeguard Program and being made captain of the high school soccer team. Despite his busy schedule, with school and sports, Jack has also found time for volunteer work, most recently feeding the homeless, which has had a strong impact on him.”

Sonia Chacon is sponsored by her Grandfather Stephen T. Nicas. Sonia graduated from Northwood High School, Irvine, CA, with a 4.23 GPA.

Quoting from her applicant statement, “Starting from my early passion for mathematics and physics, I learned drafting up elegant solutions to problems. This carried over when I tried out a class in computer science. I instantly fell in love with the problem-solving element and the process of coming up with the most efficient, readable, and implementable solution.

I am also really passionate about the arts, playing viola for over eight years and dancing for ten years. Most people would not attribute my shyness as the defining qualities of a dancer, leading to their apprehension. Nonetheless, I was enrolled in dance classes and started competing. While I had a shy face in school, dance was a different story. Walking into a dance room, the eyeglasses came off. At school I felt constricted by a shy stereotype, but dance was a blank canvas. It was a breath of fresh air, and I found a safe space to cultivate my confidence. The greatest lesson I will take from dance is that I never have to settle for a one-dimensional personality. I can be anybody and everybody I want to be. After all my years of taking dance classes, I have started working as substitute for my older teacher, taking over classes when she is not available; I have subbed as much as five hours at a time. My educational goal would be to get a Bachelors’ degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering.”

Sonia’s Reference Report describes her as, “Highly motivated and consistently dedicated to the Girl Scouts’ mission, even as she transitioned and matured into her high school years. Becoming one of our most respected members with her consistent leadership, concerned with serving the needs of others. For her most recent community service project, Sonia handcrafted felt roses for an art installation at the Orange County Museum of Art, with each rose representing an Orange County resident who died of COVID-19. This art installation (and Sonia’s roses) will eventually combine with other installations from all over the country in Washington DC, representing every life lost to COVID in the USA. A standout assignment of Sonia’s, during her second semester in an Honors European Literature class, was a research paper after reading Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. Sonia’s paper made a comparison between Woolf’s argument that historically, men have been given more funding and encouragement to pursue their genius while women of genius are held back financially and psychologically by the lack of support. Sonia connected Woolf’s argument to how students from a lower socio-economic background are excluded or hindered in their access to an Ivy-League education. “

Francesca B Fong is sponsored by her Grandfather Charles Pennell. Francesca graduated from Helix Charter High School, La Mesa, CA, with a 4.58 GPA.

Quoting from her applicant statement, “I have grown up balancing a number of different interests: performing, baking, education, and social justice; each one just as prominent an aspect of my life as the next. From my first performance at age four in Broadway Spectacular! at my local youth theatre to being elected Drama Club President at my high school and co-directing a show, my passion for musical theatre has persisted. When I wasn’t singing my heart out rehearsing for an audition, I was using my voice in another way – for activism. I have always been, and will always be, an outspoken advocate against the brutal injustices facing the world today.

Shortly following my Epilepsy diagnosis when I was little, I became involved with the Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego. I was present at all their events: fundraising at their “Gingerbread City” Gala, modeling in their annual fashion show, attending the Epilepsy Education Conference, or leading my team at Sharon’s Run for Epilepsy. I seized every opportunity to educate myself and others on disability justice and continue to do so even after growing out of my disorder. While having epilepsy informed my early encounters with social responsibility, my dedication to the value has been further developed in other ways.

In October 2019, Youth for Border Aid became an official non-profit organization, and I was a founding board member along with nine other students from the San Diego area. Our goal is to educate local youth about the humanitarian crisis happening at the southern border and mobilize our communities to provide much-needed aid to those in ICE detention facilities. Such engagement with my community has influenced my educational focus and aspiration for the future. During sophomore year, I participated in Assemblymember Shirley Weber’s Young Legislator Program, which provided me insight as to how sociological concepts manifest in politics. This eye-opening experience along with classes in Human Geography, Statistics, Psychology, Administration of Justice and Political Science have piqued my interest in sociology, prompting my desire to learn more – in and outside the classroom. I hope to use my education to conduct research to use as I fight to replace our current systems of oppression with systems of humanity.”

Francesca’s Reference Report describes her as, “A mature, thoughtful, creative and relentlessly curious student who consistently maintained a standard of excellence and became an influential member of our classroom and broader campus communities. Francesca is willing to engage in classroom discourse, always eager to learn and to hear what other people think, and always generous and kind in her interactions. Beyond an outstanding student, Francesca has been an engaged and active citizen both on campus and in her on-going advocacy work throughout the broader San Diego community.”

Tyler Mukai is sponsored by his Grandmother Susan Taylor. Tyler graduated from La Mirada High School, La Mirada, CA, with a 4.1 GPA.

Quoting from his applicant statement, “From a young age my parents instilled both dedication and work ethic in me, but also showed me how to love others, and allowed me to always be true to myself, something I think still holds strong to this day. I have always been a Christian. It is a key part of who I am. My faith really blossomed during my four years of high school. I joined a new church in eighth grade; Redemption Hill Church and was immediately placed into an environment I had never experienced before. I was surrounded by kids one, two and three years older than me and was given the opportunity to do new things, like missions and volunteer trips to places within California, as well as places outside the country, such as Ecuador. These trips through my church served not only as community service and volunteer hours, but also built my character and taught me a lot about the world around me. I believe that over the past four years, my church has allowed me to mature and learn about the world much faster than my peers at school.

I have played baseball for about 10 years of my life and credit the sport for my ability to be, not only active, but able to work within a team.

My future goals, involve attending a four-year private Christian college (not sure which one yet). I will be majoring in Business and minoring in Communications. I want to either own my business or work in the field of journalism; talking about sports, music, movies, or other types of media.”

Tyler’s Reference Report describes him as, “Having a great capacity for loving and leading others. Tyler has an incredibly relational capacity to love all people, younger students, as well as older people, the outcast and the in-crowd, lovable people and difficult people. Tyler’s life carries influence, not because of a title or role, but for his character which makes others want to follow him. He has the skillset to lead from the front of a crowd, but more importantly Tyler has the ability to lead from amidst the community. One thing particularly impressive about his ability to lead; it is partnered with sincere humility. Laced in Tyler’s character is a commitment to serve. For three years he served regularly at a local food pantry, helping serve those in need. In 2019 he joined a 10 day trip with our church where we partnered with a local church and school in Ecuador; we spent our mornings working on a construction project and afternoons serving students at a local school. He was ready to embark on a similar trip last year, when COVID hit.”

Matthew G Schneider is sponsored by his Grandfather Andrew Schneider. Matthew graduated from Heritage Christian School East (Homeschool), McKinney, TX, with a 4.0 GPA.

Quoting from his applicant statement, “Homeschooling established the foundation of my most important characteristics; self-motivation, learned time management and had opportunities to invest time in extracurricular activities. The flexible schedule taught me responsibility for my learning, enabling me to take advantage of extracurricular activities. In my homeschool community, I served on the student government for three years and mentored younger students.

Being the fourth child of a family of seven, I quickly learned to share my time, resources, and talents. While on the road to becoming an Eagle Scout, I completed multiple service projects from construction to fundraising. I also helped homeless shelters and nonprofits that help those less fortunate. Each summer I participated in a week of service to charities.

A few years ago, my dad asked me the question ‘If you could do whatever you wanted to do, what would you do?’ After thinking it over for a few minutes, I answered, ‘I would make cool stuff to help people.’ My answer defines my goal in the medical field. My academic aspirations are simple: To learn everything I can while earning a degree in Biomedical Engineering. Then I want to use my degree and knowledge to innovate and create with a worthy goal – help people live better lives and that they may have access to cheaper, better medical resources. The first step in reaching my goal is to earn a degree in Biomedical Engineering from LeTourneau University, Longview, TX.”

Matthew’s Reference Report describes him as, “Respectful, responsible, has a high level of personal character, and a hard worker who seeks to help others.” Matthew has volunteered on a number of service/mission projects, including helping advocate for the needy and homeless people of our community. He is not afraid to ask questions and seek answers to further his understanding. Matthew achieved the level of Eagle Scout, which speaks to his determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.

2021 LA RUE PIERCE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT

Savannah Maes is sponsored by her Grandmother Nancee Hanson. Savannah graduated from Linfield Christian School, Temecula, CA, with a 3.89 GPA.

Quoting from her applicant statement, “I was raised in a rural community in Warner Springs, CA. Being raised in a small community has allowed me the privilege of raising, nurturing, and learning all about livestock and seeing firsthand the different types of marvelous creatures.

Living in a small town has afforded me the knowledge of what community is and to have an authentic, passionate love for the people around me. I have been able to build strong character traits, like being a hard worker, that have ultimately shaped who I am today. A simple, yet inspiring statement my dad would always tell me growing up, ‘If you want it, you will work for it.’ That type of working attitude is something my dad has always carried with him and is something that I strive to achieve every day.”

Savannah’s statement continues, “All through high school she has been involved in leadership positions, including (1) Student Ambassador; showing incoming students the path to follow in order to become a successful member of our school student body, which ultimately draws new families into our campus; (2) LINK Leader, going on countless Mission Trips to Mexico throughout the year; (3) leadership roles in Varsity Cheer, Varsity Soccer and Varsity Track & Field; (4) hosting online sermons as a leader for the Rock Church; (5) posting inspirational videos on Linfield Christian School’s social media platforms; (6) doing community outreach programs with NEHS, CSF and NHS honor society clubs; as well myriad service projects, impacting over 12 different areas in her community. Savannah’s mindset and work ethic reflects her citizenship, moral strength, character, and maturity. Which are some of the areas in which all scholarship applicants are rated, as part of the evaluation process.

Savannah plans to attend Biola University, La Mirada, CA and carry out the “4+1 Program,” which will allow her to obtain a Bachelor and Master’s degrees in five years, as a major in Biblical Studies and Theology, and have a double minor in Preaching/Pastoral, as well as in Greek and Hebrew languages.
Savannah’s Reference Report, describes her as, “Mature beyond her years; watching her grow and love those around her has been truly inspiring.” An absolute light on campus; highly involved in multiple community service projects (Student Ambassador, International Mission Trips, fund raisers & LINK leader). Her biggest impact is seen everyday in her interaction with her peers. Savannah is encouraging, strong in her convictions, and serves others enthusiastically.”

Congratulations to all our scholarship participants. The San Diego County retirees are very proud of their children and grandchildren, and their scholastic, civic, and social accomplishments. Best wishes to all for continued success.

Our deepest appreciation and credit for the Scholarship Program’s success goes to the Selection Committee, whose independent and confidential effort ensures the quality of results. We are most proud and honored to have them as part of the RESDC Team. 

Theo and Evelyn Yakel 2021 Scholarship Recipients

Congratulations to the eight recipients of the Theo and Evelyn Yakel Scholarships for 2021! Each student received $1,500. The eight students are in alphabetical order:

Jack Amos, sponsored by Purificacion Barin-Tanjuaquio, M.D.

Sonia Chacon, sponsored by Stephen Nicas.

Lily Descans, sponsored by Verna Young.

Francesca Fong, sponsored by Charles Pennell.

Jenevieve Joseph, sponsored by Sherry Thompson-Taylor.

Mikayla Nang, sponsored by Beatriz Nang.

Alexander Poroy, sponsored by Jane Takahashi.

Mackenzie Ryan, sponsored by Thomas Ryan, Jr.

In 2001, RESDC member Theo Yakel and his wife, Evelyn, placed a $250,000 endowment with the San Diego Foundation for the purpose of awarding scholarships to children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of members of The Retired Employees of San Diego County. The interest from the endowment is used to fund the annual scholarships. Many thanks to Theo and Evelyn for their generous endowment to provide financial assistance to young people seeking higher education at a college or university.

The Yakel Scholarships are in addition to and complementary to the scholarships that RESDC awards. This is another opportunity for the families of RESDC members.

Congratulations and good luck to all of the 2021 Scholarship Recipients.