The House That Sent Three to College

Cradle-2-Graduation StoriesGraduate

Jesus Arias left Borrego Springs High School in 2012. Cecilia, who would become his wife, left in 2013. His sister Clara followed. Between them they collected two bachelor’s degrees, two master’s, and a teaching credential, and BASIC helped pay for every year of it.

Scholarship programs usually count students. This household is a reminder that the unit is often larger than that: a decision to keep funding one family, year after year, as each of them worked out how far they wanted to go.

1. Imagination Library
2. Family Literacy
3. TK Academy
4. Learning Academy
5. ×3Scholarship, completed by three of them
6. ×3Graduate, completed by three of them

The same two stations, passed three times, by one household.

Jesus — and BASIC’s first named scholarship

Alongside support from the general fund, Jesus was the recipient of the first named scholarship BASIC ever awarded: the Frank Hydoski Scholarship, which he held for four years. He graduated from UC San Diego with a major in mathematics, earned his teaching credentials, and now teaches mathematics at The Preuss School UC San Diego in La Jolla.

A named scholarship is a fund somebody establishes in a person’s memory or honor, awarded each year to a scholar who fits its purpose. There are more than a dozen of them now. Jesus was the first person any of them was given to.

Cecilia — a master’s, and health care

Cecilia graduated from Borrego Springs High School in 2013. With multi-year support from the general fund, and in part through the Jerry Goldsmith Memorial Scholarship — established for a scholar pursuing studies in health care — she completed a master’s degree at California State University, San Marcos in 2022.

Clara — a degree, then an MBA

Clara studied business administration with an emphasis in information systems at California State University, San Marcos, taking her bachelor’s degree in 2019 and applying to graduate school immediately. A year later, in 2020, she graduated from the same university with a Master of Business Administration. She works in administration for the Diocese of San Diego, serving San Diego and Imperial counties.

“Your generosity helped me significantly,” she wrote, “and it was through your kindness that I developed the pleasure of serving others.” Her advice to Borrego Springs students is to take the opportunities the town has, which she is in a position to say.

The named scholarship funds, and what each is for, are listed on the Scholarships page.