By Kim Lamb Gregory
Elizabeth Chavez wiped tears with her dinner napkin as she watched her daughter, Devina Chavez, cross the stage and accept her scholarship at the 14th Annual Business & Technology Partnership (B&TP) Leadership dinner.
“I’m just so proud of her, so proud,” Elizabeth said.
Devina was one of five exceptional students chosen to receive scholarships from the B&TP, an organization of local business and technology leaders that provide scholarships, internships and other opportunities for CSUCI students majoring in one of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields.
The students were honored during an awards ceremony and dinner held April 26 at the Hyatt Regency Westlake.
“When I applied to CSUCI, I knew I needed scholarships. I needed people to back me up,” said Devina, a Biology major from Merced, California. “I could not afford it on my own, and I’m grateful.”
The other scholars were Biology major Deanne Pamela Antonio, Business Administration major Anna Maria Sandry, Environmental Science & Resource Management major Tanya Saxena and Biology major Melony LaBoy.
“I have a lot of friends who ended up pregnant or incarcerated,” said LaBoy, who grew up in Oxnard. “It’s typical of a lot of students from my community. I want to change that stigma by being a first-generation student to get a bachelor’s degree. I want to continue and be the first in my family to get a Ph.D.”
Antonio, whose family arrived from the Philippines with very little money, hopes to teach computer science to individuals with mental or physical disabilities.
Saxena transferred to CSUCI after studying computer science at University of California, Irvine, because she wanted a university that excelled in Environmental Science, which fascinates her.
Sandry hopes to use her degree in Business Administration to work for the U.S. government, because she is grateful to be here and wants to give back.
“I was born in Indonesia and unfortunately, I didn’t feel welcome or safe there … the politics,” she said. “The United States is a country where I am welcome and it gives me more opportunity.”
Assistant Professor of Mathematics Cynthia Flores was honored as Faculty Leader of the Year, and the Business Leader of the Year award went to SAGE Publishing President & Chief Executive Officer Blaise Simqu.
Goleta-based Inogen, an oxygen therapy technology company founded by three students at University of California, Santa Barbara received Technology Leader of the Year.
CSUCI President Erika Beck congratulated the scholars and honorees and once again underscored the University’s commitment to preparing students for jobs of the 21st century.
“We are preparing them by teaching them new ways of learning and providing them with a solid foundation of critical thinking skills, analytical skills, problem-solving skills and communication skills,” Beck said. “And a deep sense of curiosity and a passion for life-long learning.”
Learn more about these scholarship students by visiting: go.csuci.edu/btp18
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© Spring 2018 / Volume 22 /Number 01 / Bi-annual