President's Scholars 2004

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Cal State L.A. President’s Scholars
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Los Angeles, CA – This past fall, California State University, Los Angeles welcomed twelve of Southern California’s best and brightest high school graduates to the campus as President’s Scholars.

Each President’s Scholar receives free college tuition—$5,000 per year for four years of full-time enrollment at Cal State L.A.—as a result of his or her outstanding academic achievements, extracurricular activities and leadership in high school. The award covers tuition, including books and other academic and living expenses. The addition of this newest class brings the total number of current CSULA President’s Scholars to 41.

This scholarship program is funded by alumni contributions to CSULA’s Annual Fund and augmented by an allotment from student government. The Annual Fund Drive, conducted by student-callers, helps to support the President’s Scholars program and other University projects. Two of the 12 scholars are funded by CSULA’s Associated Students, Inc.

Honored as the sixth class of President’s Scholars are:

Candie Bautista
Major: Biochemistry
Monrovia High School
Monrovia resident

Adolfo Escobedo
Major: History
San Pedro High School
San Pedro resident

Angelica Garcia
Major: Mathematics
Bravo Medical Magnet High School
Maywood resident

Edgar Cecil Green II
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Verdugo Hills High School
Tujunga resident

Raci Ignacio
Major: Pre-law
Marshall High School
Los Angeles resident

Gloria Tu Lam
Major: Nursing
Mark Keppel High School
Monterey Park resident

Valerie Magbitang
Major: Nursing
Reseda High School
Northridge resident

Elda Mata
Major: Business Administration
Montebello High School
Montebello resident

Ellen Pikop
Major: Natural Science
Valencia High School
Santa Clarita resident

Ryan Lee Secor
Major: Criminal Justice
Santa Clarita Christian High School
Santa Clarita resident

Marcella Wong
Major: Computer Science
Schurr High School
Monterey Park resident

Lister Yu
Major: Electrical Engineering
Mark Keppel High School
Alhambra resident

Candie Bautista
Named to the Monrovia High School Principal’s Honor Roll, Candie Bautista plans to pursue a biochemistry degree at Cal State L.A. in order to prepare for a future career in pharmaceutical research. She was a member of her high school’s national honor society and a participant of the 2004 American Chemical Society’s Project SEED program hosted at Cal State L.A. Candie, who discovered the CSULA President’s Scholars program through a CSULA faculty member, says, “It has been a wonderful experience attending this school so far and I look forward to many more great opportunities in the future.”

Adolfo Escobedo
Adolfo Escobedo, a graduate of San Pedro High School, is pursuing a degree in history and hopes to go on to law school after graduating from Cal State L.A. “I want to be there for people who can’t defend themselves,” he says. Raised by a single mother who did not complete high school, Adolfo is the first in his family to attend college. Adolfo has an older brother and a younger sister who he is encouraging to follow in his footsteps. “College helps you meet different people and opens your horizons,” he says. “I hope it will make me a more well-rounded person.”

Angelica Garcia
Angelica Garcia is a highly motivated student who comes to Cal State L.A. from Bravo Medical Magnet High School. Often described as cooperative and cheerful, Angelica is pursuing a degree in mathematics and hopes to attend medical school after she graduates from Cal State L.A. “Medicine has always interested me,” she says. “It’s a great way to give back to the community.”

Edgar Cecil Green II
With interest in math and science, Edgar Cecil Green is majoring in mechanical engineering and his goal is to become a design engineer. He says, “The field sincerely excited me, because it intensely involves math and science.” Edgar was valedictorian of his graduating class at Verdugo Hills High School, holding a 4.23 GPA and named to the Dean’s List. Applying much discipline and focus, he is currently a first degree black belt and a martial arts instructor at the United Self-Defense Academy in Sunland. He expressed that he is happy to pursue his degree at Cal State L.A.: “It is a great school!”

Raci Ignacio
Graduating with top honors from John Marshall High School, Raci Ignacio plans to attend law school and become a lawyer after achieving her bachelor’s degree in English at Cal State L.A. Currently a pre-law major, she is taking classes in theatre arts in addition to her general school load. With a talent for singing, acting and dancing, she won first and third prizes at Shakespeare contests in high school. She also enjoys playing the electric organ. Raci credits the President’s Scholars program for the opportunity to attend Cal State L.A.: “I wouldn’t be going to college, if I didn’t get this scholarship.”

Gloria Tu Lam
Gloria Tu Lam, who enjoys art and reading, is a pre-nursing major. She chose the field of nursing because of the opportunity to help others and its well-rounded aspect. An AP Scholar and a Governor’s Scholar, she graduated among the top of her class at Mark Keppel High School. Despite her rigorous academic schedule in high school, she took extracurricular classes in fine arts and culinary art, as well as a trigonometry class at a local community college. Gloria says that the scholarship to attend Cal State L.A. will help her “grow into somebody who can help support [her] family and meanwhile contribute to the world.” She adds: “I’m just very happy to be selected.”

Valerie Musico Magbitang
Valerie Musico Magbitang, a recent graduate of Reseda High School, plans to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a nurse. “I like helping people feel better and I wanted to do something in the medical field,” she says. Valerie adds that she may go on to medical school, and that she chose to come to Cal State L.A. because of its renowned nursing program.

Elda Elvira Mata
A business administration major, Elda Mata says she enjoys working with money! She graduated in the top ninth of her class at Montebello High School. She passed the Golden State Examinations in writing, math and Spanish, and is a recipient of a prestigious President’s Award for Educational Excellence. (The award is given to select high school graduates in recognition of academic success in the classroom.) Editor of her high school yearbook, Elda is an avid reader, a writer, and has a knack for computers. To Cal State L.A., she says: “Thank you very much for making this possible.”

Ellen Pikop
Ellen Pikop has always had a passion for science, and hopes to share that passion with future generations by becoming a high school science teacher. “There’s a great need for teachers who really enjoy teaching science,” Ellen says. She hopes to help fill that need by earning degree in natural science and a teaching credential at Cal State L.A., where she says she already feels right at home. “I’ve been really impressed by how friendly everyone is at Cal State L.A., and how much everyone pays personal attention to you as a student instead of thinking of you as a number.”

Ryan Lee Secor
Ryan Secor is majoring in criminal justice and minoring in Spanish at Cal State L.A. He has recently been accepted to work as an LAPD reserve officer and has aspirations to be a full-time police officer, specifically, on the SWAT team. He says, “I am determined to be the best police officer and serve the people of the community. My goal is to know my job well, do it to the very best of my abilities, and do it to the glory of God.” His favorite pastimes are “tearing the weights up” at the local gym, and participating in Crossroads, the college fellowship group at Grace Community Church. An honor roll student, he was a member of the 2004 CIF Division 6 Baseball Championship Team at Santa Clarita Christian high school.

Marcella Wong
Marcella Wong comes to Cal State L.A. from Schurr High School in Montebello, where she was an AP scholar and entertainment editor of the school newspaper. Marcella is pursuing a degree in computer science and hopes to follow in her father’s footsteps to become a successful computer programmer after she graduates. She says she has been impressed by the small class size at Cal State L.A. and the diversity of the students. In her spare time, Marcella enjoys playing tennis.

Lister Yu
Lister Yu comes to CSULA from Mark Keppel High School. An avid runner who participated on his high school’s cross country and track teams, he hopes to participate in sports at Cal State L.A. while pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. Lister’s competitive spirit contributes to the continued high goals he sets for himself: “I’d like to graduate close to the top of my class,” he says.

WORKING FOR CALIFORNIA – California State University, Los Angeles is a comprehensive university at the heart of a major metropolitan city. The 175-acre hilltop campus is located five miles east of Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. Since 1947, Cal State L.A. has been a leader in providing quality higher education. Today, the campus comprises a faculty of internationally recognized scholars and artists, and more than 20,000 students with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds that reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Cal State L.A. is one of 23 campuses in the CSU system. The University is noted for the Luckman Fine Arts Complex and critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra; its focus on alternative energy technology; the unique Early Entrance Program for gifted youngsters; the first of its kind Charter College of Education; and a renowned forensic science graduate program, among many others.

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