The San Diego Foundation awarded a record-breaking $5.67 million in scholarships to more than 1,000 students Saturday, with the majority of recipients being first-generation college students.
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Hundreds of recipients, their families and donors came together at the San Diego Zoo for the foundation’s annual Community Scholarship Celebration. This year’s investment — a total of 1,629 individual scholarships — went to 1,057 students, 94% of whom come from low-to-middle income families.
“We know that pursuing higher education is much more than academics,” Mark Stuart, the organization’s president and CEO, said. “It’s about having the support, the resources, the mentorship and encouragement to pursue your goals with confidence. That’s why scholarships matter.”
For the 2026-27 season, the program slightly exceeded last year’s funding by about $130,000.
The result of over 100 combined charitable funds at the foundation, the program is the largest non-university scholarship provider in San Diego County. Since being founded in 1997, it has provided more than $65.2 million to 16,262 students.
The celebration featured keynote remarks from Dr. Ashanti Hands, president of San Diego Mesa College, and scholarship recipient Obidullah Mahmoodi, an incoming freshman at UC Irvine majoring in computer science.
Mahmoodi moved to the United States from his home country of Afghanistan four years ago. That came with many challenges to overcome, he said, such as learning English while adapting to a new country and school system.
“Four years ago, I could never imagine that I would graduate with honors from high school in the United States, speak English with confidence to stand before all of you today,” Mahmoodi said. “This journey has helped me recognize my true potential and understand how far each of us can go when we refuse to give up.”
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He expressed gratitude to the donors and said their “generosity has reassured underserved students like me that there are people who believe in our potential and the positive changes we can bring to our community.”
That sentiment rang true for Nyema Curtis, a scholarship recipient and graduate of Lincoln High School who is headed to UC Berkeley this fall to major in sociology, with plans to go to law school.
The youngest of three siblings, Curtis is a first-generation college student. She participated in the Young and Prosperous Foundation, an organization that mentors local youths and guides them toward higher education.
“It was an amazing journey. I learned a lot about myself, and I grew into the person I am today,” Curtis said. “I couldn’t do it without the program.”
Hands, the college president, opened her keynote speech by sharing the meaning behind “sawubona,” a South African greeting that directly translates to “I see you.”
“We see all of you as who you are,” she said. “Your story is not something to overcome; it is something to be celebrated. Don’t stop telling those stories, because they are going to be the thing that allows others to know that they, too, can accomplish and achieve great things.”
