May 16 ceremony providing $420,000 in scholarships to SAC students,
honors the life of Dr. KC Huynh-Dang
(Santa Ana, CA) - The Santa Ana College (SAC) Foundation will provide SAC students with $420,000 in scholarship money at the 2019 SAC Scholarship Awards Ceremony on May 16.
The total number of scholarships awarded this year is up 20 percent. Generous donors, like Al and Carol Presuch, have made it possible for the SAC Foundation to award $15,000 in scholarships to three STEM female students transferring to four-year colleges.
Al Preusch said he and his wife were compelled to contribute to the SAC Foundation because the foundation supports a large number of immigrant students who are working to become contributing citizens of the United States. He added, “a modest financial contribution can have a potentially large impact for the students.”
One of those students receiving a $5,000 award is Abi Mendez Ortiz. Ortiz comes from a large family of 10 and is determined to pursue a career in biomedical engineering. While at SAC, she has worked as a math tutor, researched at a biophysics lab at California State University, Fullerton. She is active with the Association of Professionals and Students (APS), an academic association promoting higher education to disadvantaged students. In addition to assisting with food drives with the University of California, Irvine Mobile Food Pantry and Second Harvest Food Bank, Ortiz is an active member of her church group, Alma de Mujer y Vida and Fundacion Eva, a civil association that aids disadvantaged individuals through charity work and fundraisers. She maintains a cumulative grade point average of 3.27 and will attend UCI in the fall where she will continue her education in biomedical engineering.
“Receiving a scholarship that will assist me in my educational goals means a lot to me,” she said. “It means I can continue to pursue higher education and be a source of pride for my parents. It means I will be able to attend my dream school with less financial worry. It means I am one of the many students whose lives have been touched and are indebted to the generous hearts of donors who have put their faith in our success.”
Kenninsy Bahena and Jocabed Torres Bernal are also the recipients of $5,000 scholarships. Bahena is a biological science and chemistry major with a 3.87 GPA who will transfer to University of California, Berkeley in the fall. Torres Bernal is a political science major who maintains a 3.67 GPA and will also transfer to Cal in the fall. Torres hopes to eventually obtain a law degree and become a lawyer for social justice. Both women will be the first in their families to pursue a bachelor-level education.
The ceremony will also honor the late Dr. KC Huynh-Dang, who passed away on April 30, 2017, for her passion for her students and family’s mission to continue her legacy.
The 2019 SAC Scholarships Awards Ceremony is Thursday, May 16, at 4 p.m. in Santa Ana College Cook Gymnasium, 1530 W. 17th St. in Santa Ana. For additional information, visit
sac.edu/scholarships.
Donors Al and Carol Preusch with SAC student Abi Mendez Ortiz.
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About Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College (SAC), which turned 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, and provides invaluable workforce training and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 11,000 students are served through the college’s School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation’s top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the
Rancho Santiago Community College District.
