Scholars shine at 2011 dinner celebration

Last night the 826 Valencia community welcomed six shining stars and their families into our writing lab for our 2011 Scholars Dinner.

Tables normally cluttered with notebooks, pencils, and students were instead covered in flowing white tablecloths, and the room was crowded with supporters there to honor the college-bound scholars.

Over dinner and drinks, we applauded the effort, talents, and perseverance of Jasmine Price-Tillery, the winner of the Young Author’s Scholarship; Aress Almendares, the winner of the New Voice Scholarship; Jasmine Pettway, the Taylor Renfrew Ingham Memorial Scholarship winner; Winifher Vasquez, the winner of the Irving Hochman Memorial Scholarship; Maria Teresa Alfaro, the Nathan Jillson Memorial Scholarship winner; and Elizabeth Jeronimo, the winner of the 826 Valencia Scholarship. We are honored to know these students, and we look forward to staying in touch as they all head off to their first semesters of college in the next couple weeks.

Each year, 826 is able to award six $15,000 scholarships to Bay Area seniors in high school with the help of the program’s generous supporters support; their dedication continues to make a huge impact on the opportunities we can provide. We would like to thank City Arts & Lectures, the Brin Wojcicki Foundation, and the family of Taylor Renfrew Ingham for funding the scholarship program. We would also like to thank Books Inc. for providing and serving the delicious dinner last night, which helped 826 truly celebrate the guests of honor in style.