Scholar Stories
BASIC Salutes Its College Graduates
Posted
Three BASIC scholars who finished college through a pandemic: an ELD teacher returning to the summer Learning Academy, a magna cum laude graduate, and a newly licensed commercial pilot.
Each year, now for 25 years, BASIC has devoted proceeds from the annual Circle of Art and our other fundraising activities to its scholarship programs. BASIC gives two types of scholarships: start-school scholarships to high school graduates planning to attend vocational, 2-year or 4-year colleges, and stay-in-school scholarships to those who continue their education and work towards a degree. Some even go on and earn masters-level degrees.
Despite the pandemic, despite all the logistical and financial challenges of attending college from the isolated town of Borrego Springs, many of our scholars have graduated this past year. We congratulate them for their accomplishments! Over the next few months, BASIC invites you to join us in saluting them. Here we salute a BASIC scholar returning to teach at the 2022 summer Learning Academy, and two scholars who graduated from college last December.
Marya Martinez
In her own words
The BASIC scholarship helped me pay for tuition and other necessities throughout college. I went to SFSU for my undergraduate degree and USC for my Master’s. I majored in English with a focus in Education. This past year, I worked at Orange Glen High School as an English teacher but am currently applying to other places. I will be working at BASIC’s Summer Learning Academy as the ELD teacher for the second year in a row. I am very grateful for the scholarship that BASIC provided because it gave me the resources I needed to discover what I wanted to do and encouraged me to give back to the communities I become involved with.
December’s graduates
Leslie Garcia
In her own words
I want to thank BASIC donors for making it possible for me to attend San Francisco State University without me having to worry about the cost of books and supplies. Being able to live in San Francisco for four years was incredible: making friends, exploring cuisines from around the world, and the invaluable education I earned in the Criminal Justice Department.
Erik Tulving
Erik is pursuing a professional airline career and has been accepted into Southwest Airlines’ Destination 225 Cadet program.
In his own words
The amazing people at BASIC have allowed me to focus on school and flight training with the generosity of their scholarships. I was able to dedicate myself to my education and that allowed me to flourish in that environment. The team from top to bottom have always been so supportive of my goals; it has truly been a blessing. Plus the numerous students they have helped around the Valley, not only with their scholarships but their summer school and library programs, has been astounding.
This salute, by the numbers
- 25
- Years of BASIC scholarships, funded largely by Circle of Art
- 3
- Graduates saluted here, with more to come this season
- 1
- Returning to teach at the 2022 summer Learning Academy
Anne Bogardt is a past president and past scholarship coordinator for BASIC. Joanne Ingwall is BASIC’s CFO and current scholarship coordinator.
Send the next one
To contribute to the education of the children of Borrego Springs, please donate to BASIC’s Scholarship Fund, or mail a check to BASIC, Box 1914, Borrego Springs CA 92004-1914.
Give to the Scholarship Fund