Alum Profile
Donna Scarbrough’s Deep Roots

Excitement, expectation and a strong dose of pride filled the air as 300 graduating students stepped forward in 1949 to receive the first diplomas given at Santa Ana College’s new Bristol Street campus. Foundation Board member Donna Scarbrough was one of those students. “I remember two rows of one-story buildings, Quonset huts and lots of mud,” she laughingly recalls.

Donna’s family moved from Detroit to Orange County when she was a sophomore in high school, and she has a long history with both the college and the business community. After studying business at SAC, Donna married Gene, a Southern California native, and had five children, who then gave her five grandchildren.

Donna has loved quilting all of her life and has hand stitched quilts that will become heirlooms to each of the children and grandchildren. The family is an integral part of California’s business community, initially owning two industrial buildings and five acres of orange groves in Orange County. The orange groves were later sold, and the growing Scarbrough family invested in citrus and nut fields in the Central Valley.

When she reflects on the incredible changes she has witnessed in Orange County, she observes, “I never thought these hills would all be filled with houses. I think Disney was the spark plug that changed it all and ignited the growth.”

The changes at her alma mater are equally amazing to Donna, who joined the Foundation Board in September, 2006. She points to the size of the campus, as well as all of its bustling energy. “What a change from my student days. Now kids can attend classes part-time, full-time or on-line. SAC does such a great job of reaching out to the community, and its curriculum reflects what is happening in Orange County. I’m honored to be on the Board representing our older alums and promoting scholarships, so more young people can benefit from this great community college.”

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