Foundation Scholarship Winner Osvaldo Rojas is Determined to Secure His Own Future

“Education is expensive, and I don’t want to burden my family,” shares Contra Costa College (CCC) Foundation Scholarship winner Osvaldo Rojas. “I’ve been saving up every penny for school ever since I started working. With the CCC Foundation’s help, I can finally enroll full-time without having the pressure to go to work.”

A long-term resident of San Pablo and first-generation college student, Osvaldo learned that he was awarded the San Pablo Forward Scholarship and the Ansel Boynton Memorial Scholarship in May, 2024. With this financial boost, Osvaldo can take a break from working and focus on his education at CCC full-time, allowing him to finish the credits that he needs to transfer.

With his father a construction worker and his mother a housewife, Osvaldo’s family has lived on a single unpredictable income for a long time. Things have been tough. Osvaldo is determined to secure his own future while taking on the financial responsibilities to get himself through school at CCC and beyond.

Osvaldo finds CCC an incredibly supportive institution, and really likes the faculty. He originally intended to study business but switched to electrical engineering and computer science after discovering a passion for the subjects and the stability they provide. He plans on transferring in these subjects. Osvaldo holds multiple certifications in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and has been involved in several programs including College is Real and 10,000 Degrees, which help students with college applications and financial aid.

Osvaldo expresses gratitude for all the support that he received from the CCC Foundation. Osvaldo also had a unique opportunity to meet and thank his Ansel Boynton Memorial Scholarship sponsors, Bob and Gay Boynton.

“The Boyntons are so nice,” he said. “I’ve never really gotten scholarships where you meet the sponsors and talk to them. They want me to keep them updated on my academic journey and how I’m doing each semester. They did more than what they had to do, and for that I’m grateful.”