Inspiring A New Generation

DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS LINCOLN HEIGHTS
Los Angeles, CA

Education is said to be the key to a bright future, but for children and families living in America's tough communities, a bright future through a college education is often just a dream. However, for many families and young students in East Los Angeles, this dream is being made real thanks to the Dollars for Scholars Lincoln Heights' (DSLH) volunteers.

Located four miles from downtown Los Angeles, Lincoln Heights is one of the oldest neighborhoods of the city. Though rich in local culture and history, Lincoln Heights, like many other urban neighborhoods across the country, has its share of challenges. Founded originally by the city's growing affluent population, today Lincoln Heights is home to residents in the working class, primarily Latino and Asian population.

In addition to the hazards of gangs, drugs, and violence, young Lincoln Heights residents like Maritza Hernandez, face many challenges, including being the first in their families to attend college. Even when they excel in academics and extracurricular activities despite the many odds, the students and their families still have to contend with the ultimate challenge of finding the financial resources for college.

Recognizing this fundamental barrier led Hank Castillo and other community activists in Lincoln Heights to organize and start a scholarship program to benefit low-income students. The volunteers soon connected with Scholarship America, formerly Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America, the nation's largest private sector scholarship and educational support provider. In 1988, DSLH registered as an independent nonprofit and became one of the first urban-based chapter of Scholarship America.

Since then, this grassroots community-based organization has leveraged its national affiliation to further expand and strengthen its programs, while keeping focused on the needs and assets of the community. Based at Lincoln High School, DSLH serves two area high schools: Sacred Heart (an all-girls Catholic school) and Lincoln High School. With the aim of providing scholarship assistance to the largest number of graduating high school students possible, the volunteers develop financial resources to distribute scholarships to interested students who want to attend accredited four-year colleges or universities, community colleges, or vocational institutions.

A completely volunteer-run organization, DSLH has no paid staff, and 85 percent of the organization's budget is allocated to the Scholarship Program. The ten volunteer board members who serve as the steering committee represent the ethnic diversity of the community and include residents, graduates of Lincoln High, community activists like Hank Castillo, as well teachers and a school administrator.

The volunteer board meets quarterly and organizes community fund raising activities such as the annual 5K/10K Run and horse track race. Volunteers also reach out to new prospective supporters including high school alumni and past scholarship recipients who have completed college. In addition, by developing partnerships with individual and corporate contributors, high schools, and other area organizations, volunteers enhance educational and vocational opportunities for students and enable them to become contributing members of society.

Since 1988, DSLH has distributed 86 scholarships, totaling more than $40,000, to deserving low-income students from Lincoln and Sacred Heart Highs. Students have attended four-year universities including UCLA, USC, Occidental College, UC-Irvine, Davis, Berkeley, Cal State LA, Long Beach, MIT, Northridge, and others.

Dollars for Scholars Lincoln Heights is a model of how volunteers can make a difference in their community and in the lives of individual students. Maritza, a 2001 Community Service Awardee of DSLH and a student at California State University, pledges to pursue a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and give back to the community that has supported her. The work of these volunteers enables students to achieve their dreams and inspires a new generation to make a difference in their community.

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* This story was originally published in Making a Difference: Neighbor to Neighbor, December 2003, Points of Light Foundation. Learn more about the publication. .