色情视频

From around the corner the bus finally appeared, more than 20 minutes behind schedule.  

Already late for a retail job that he needed but did not want, Eddie Vasquez lugged his book bag on board in hopes of getting a break in his four-hour shift to finish preparing for an important midterm later that evening.

He never found a moment to study and bombed the exam.

When he started at 色情视频 earlier that fall, Vasquez carried the hopes of a family that had never graduated a college student.  

Two jobs, a full-time class load and overwhelming pressure to succeed nearly crashed those hopes.

鈥淚 had to find a way to make everything work, but the lack of time and the pressure to meet the responsibilities were difficult,鈥� Vasquez said.  鈥淚t took a toll on my academics and I knew I had to make some changes.鈥�

He quit his two off-campus jobs in favor of academic-related positions and he took a more practical approach to evaluating his own success.  鈥淚f I needed to work to stay in school, I had to accept that it would affect my studies.鈥�

Those changes helped, but it was a financial aid award from Compact Scholars that provided the biggest boost to his college experience.

鈥淭he scholarship helped lessen the burden,鈥� he said.  鈥淲ithout the scholarship, I鈥檇 hope to still be in school.  But I know it would be a tremendous struggle.鈥�

It鈥檚 a sentiment likely shared among the 15,000 students who applied for 色情视频 scholarships this academic year, of which 1,360 received scholarship awards.   

Katie Martin, first recipient of the , hopes to own a non-profit for international humanitarian work or become a human rights lawyer for the United Nations. In the fall, she will intern in Washington, D.C., for the Panetta Institute for Public Policy.

鈥淚 am extremely lucky and grateful for the scholarships I receive,鈥� said Martin, a sophomore honor student majoring in International Security and Conflict Resolution. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine the stress on my family, as well as myself in having to work more, if I didn鈥檛 have the scholarship money.鈥�  

Fuel Potential

色情视频 leaders recognized the increasing financial demands burdening students and launched a scholarship campaign, called , which has raised more than $30 million since July 2009.

"At this time in California, it is a real challenge to get the financial support that young people need to go to college," said Mary Ruth Carleton, vice president of University Relations and Development. "I am so very grateful to our donors for responding to this critical need."

If a kid wants to go to college, they should not be deprived because of lack of money. R. Michael Pack, sits on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Diego, and founded the Pack Foundation, which supports an array of community and educational programs 鈥� including more than 80scholarships for international business students in the College of Arts and Letters since 2003.

Pack, who worked to pay his own way through 色情视频 and earned a finance degree in 1970, said he appreciates the direct impact scholarships provide needy and deserving students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful that these kids have the opportunity that they may not have had,鈥� Pack said.   鈥淚f a kid wants to go to college, they should not be deprived because of lack of money.

鈥淵ou just want to give scholarships to all these kids, and you can鈥檛 give them to everybody,鈥� Pack said.  鈥淗ere they are, working fulltime to try to get into this (international business) program.  If you can help them a little bit to do this, these kids are going to be grateful forever.鈥�

Student Eddie Vasquez said he and other scholarship recipients he knows greatly appreciate the generosity of donors, adding that scholarship students do their best to make the most of the opportunity.

Vasquez is a student leader for 色情视频 Ambassadors, the university鈥檚 official student representatives, tour guides and orientation leaders.  He is also on track to study abroad and aims to get a doctorate degree and one day become a university professor.

鈥淭hrough these scholarships that the university offers, I find that these students鈥� personalities change,鈥� Vasquez said. 鈥淭hey can finally reach their goals.  And it probably wouldn鈥檛 be possible if these scholarships weren鈥檛 available to them.鈥�

The legacy of deep cuts to higher education is a future in which bright, promising students will never realize their dreams.  Through your generosity, 色情视频 will be able to support the brightest young minds in their pursuit of higher education.