Your success is our purpose. The MPC Foundation is here to support you with scholarships, internships, financial wellness resources, and inspiring stories of students like you. Explore opportunities to achieve your goals and see how we can help you make the most of your time at Monterey Peninsula College.
Student Stories
"I come from a family where work comes before education. I wanted to break that chain
for myself and my children. I am proud to say that I will be a first-generation college
student. This hasn’t been an easy journey for me, as I know it hasn’t for a lot of
us students. Financially, mentally, and physically, these past few years have been
tough. Even when I didn’t do so well in my classes, I continued to get back up and
do even better. To whoever is reading this letter, my promise to you is that I will
never give up. I will continue this path and get the degree that I have worked so
hard to get. No matter what life throws at me, I will remain focused and never lose
sight of myself and my ability to finish. Thank you so much again for helping me succeed
and believing in me. I may not be able to thank you with a gift but I will thank you
with my promise and prove that you made the right choice in choosing me to receive
this amazing scholarship."
Diana Guth
Art—Photography
"I am the first gen in my family and will be breaking the generational curse as I
want to be the example to my younger siblings and cousins. Not being financially able
to go to school has truly been a challenge as I was about to drop out this semester
as well. But, look at me now transferring/graduating! I owe a lot to my MPC TRiO Family
as they have supported me so much. I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for them.
As I receive this opportunity, I hope to study abroad at CSUMB, as it has always been
a dream of mine to study in Japan….So in honor of receiving this scholarship from
the bottom of my heart I am very thankful for this opportunity as I hope one day to
look back and do the same for the MPC community. Thank you for the huge opportunity
of helping me continue my education."
Nayelli Martinez
Art — Graphic Arts
"I always wanted to reach for the stars in my educational journey. From a young age,
I've had a mindset to do everything with the ones I love in mind - especially my parents.
My schoolwork, accomplishments, and drive have been fueled by the thought of making
their hard work of coming to America pay off. I started achieving this in high school,
taking advantage of the resources my local community college offered financially and
academically as a dual enrollment student.
While doing this, I helped my mother and father with their work. I enjoyed using my
spare time after school or on vacation to make their jobs easier. They worked tirelessly
to provide me with opportunities they never had themselves. I took note of their work
ethic from an early age and wished to follow their example of being nothing less than
hard-working. …
I have seen firsthand the struggles that come with being an immigrant and the challenges
that come with navigating a new culture, or in my case, two cultures. In several instances,
I felt disconnected from both sides, which I know is a common situation that first-generation
children of immigrants face. However, I overcame this by putting as much trust in
myself as I did in my loved ones. I know my future success in starting my own business
will give others similar to me a role model I wish I had.
I recognize the road ahead is a long and difficult one. The cost of college is a barrier
for many immigrant families, and I know that without financial assistance, it will
be difficult for me to achieve my dreams. … I am determined to use my education to
give back to the people who have supported me and to make a positive impact in the
world."
Raquel Cruz
MPC Student
"As a scared, new teenage mother welcoming her first child into the world, one of
the very first people that helped ease me into that mother role were the nurses that
cared for both me and my son in the NICU. Inspired by them, I decided to dip my toes
into healthcare. … Above all, I also want to make my kids and my parents proud. I
want to show them that even though there are hardships and obstacles in obtaining
your goals, it is so important to keep on dreaming and reaching for those dreams.
Eventually, I also want to inspire teenage moms or even single moms that reaching
for your goals is achievable and that anything is possible. I hope to give back to
the community with my new knowledge of nursing and being the best nurse I can be."
May Ann Lorenzo
Nursing
"My name is Crystal Garcia, and I am a single mother of three amazing children… I
will finally be able to graduate in Fall 2024 and transfer to CSUMB. I am studying
to become a social worker. Two of my children are diagnosed with autism and ADHD,
and although it has been very difficult to focus on their therapies, their schooling,
and my schooling, I have been able to focus on the big picture and not give up. …
Being a mother of disabled children, I have come to learn that we must fight for their
rights and support them. It definitely hasn’t been easy, which is why I decided to
become a social worker. I also have a dream of investing in property to rent out to
low-income families. … The reason I chose these career paths is because I come from
a low-income family. I have grown up with my family living in low-income housing and
receiving government assistance my whole life. I am the first generation to attend
college, and I want to break the cycle of the poverty my family continues to live
in. I want to also be financially free, and I want to be able to take my children
on vacations."
Crystal Garcia
Social Work & Human Services
"I am taking this step from high school to college and I am getting closer to my dream,
which is to work as a mechanic and in the future to have my own workshop. Whether
it's so easy or not, everything turns out as planned, but that's what it's about—following
your dreams and having persistence in them so that one day you can sit down and say,
'I really did it!'"
Arcel Diaz
Automotive Technology