Edison International Awards $1 Million to CSULA’s Honors College for Scholarships
ROSEMEAD, Calif. — Edison International has awarded a $1 million scholarship endowment to the Honors College at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). The first two students will be presented scholarships next week at a news conference.
Edison International Chief Executive Officer Ted Craver and CSULA President James M. Rosser will recognize students Yulan Lin, 17, of Arcadia, and Francisco Sepulveda, 18, of South Gate, at 10 a.m. on April 2, at the Golden Eagle Conference Center on the CSULA campus. The university is located at 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, California 90032.
“At Edison International, we recognize that higher education is a transformative tool,” said Craver. “For people of all cultures, education changes lives. Education empowers communities and fuels the future. I am deeply honored that Edison International is able to play a small but impactful role in the success of Edison Scholars Yulan and Francisco, two bright and driven students.”
Edison International places special emphasis on awarding scholarships to underrepresented and underserved students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). In 2012, the company donated $19.2 million in philanthropic support, including $10.8 million to educational programs, all from shareholder dollars.
The Edison Scholars endowment will provide a stable base and support for Honors College students in perpetuity. Edison International’s leadership gift has already helped raise an additional $1 million in gifts and pledges for the Honors College at CSULA, one of the most ethnically diverse and comprehensive universities in the country.
“With this generous gift, Edison International has again raised the bar for all of us who stand committed to improving education now and in the near future, as the country continues to address 21st century challenges,” said Rosser. “Through Edison’s support, gifted CSULA Honors College students, like our first Edison Scholars Yulan and Francisco, will have the opportunity to become better leaders within their chosen STEM fields. These segments of the workforce are not only on the frontline of the strengthening economy, but also enable other industries to function at the high technological level today’s workforce demands.”
Lin, who began college at 13, is a chemistry major in her fourth year at CSULA. Sepulveda, the first to attend college in his family, is a freshman biology major. Both students belong to CSULA’s Honors College, a competitive interdisciplinary program for students who expect to pursue advanced degrees. With support from Edison International and the Honors College, Lin and Sepulveda will each be awarded scholarship support annually through graduation.
“It makes me feel really good to know that other people who I respect look up and notice what I’m doing,” said Lin. “In my remaining time at CSULA and in the Honors College, I will continue to explore where I want to make a difference in the world.”
Sepulveda, a 2012 graduate of Bell Gardens High School who plans to pursue a master’s degree in forensic science, called the Honors College and the Edison Scholars experience “amazing.”
“When I read the email notifying me of the scholarship, it made my entire year,” he said.
About the Honors College at California State University, Los Angeles
The CSULA Honors College offers outstanding students an opportunity to participate in a scholarly community dedicated to inquiry and discovery, creative and critical thinking, and the creation of knowledge that will have a positive impact on society. The university’s six colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty.
About Edison International
Edison International (NYSE:EIX), through its subsidiaries, is a generator and distributor of electric power and an investor in infrastructure and energy assets, including renewable energy. Headquartered in Rosemead, Calif., Edison International is the parent company of Southern California Edison.
Edison International’s support of charitable causes is funded entirely by Edison International shareholders. The company’s community donations are part of its commitment as a leading corporate citizen. Southern California Edison (SCE) customers’ utility bill payments do not fund company donations.
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Working for California since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 225,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six Colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to the Honors College for high-achieving students. Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include an NEH-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu