Righetti student wins
scholarship from Comcast
SACRAMENTO
—
Seventeen-year-old Taylor Breshears of Righetti High School in Santa Maria earned $1,000 June 18.
Comcast
Cable Company presented 173 California high school students with scholarships
for higher education at the North steps of the Capitol that day, giving them a
chance to shake hands with State Superintendent Jack O’Connell and Lieutenant
Governor John Garamendi, who both spoke at the event.
The
Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program is a nation-wide community investment
plan sponsored by the Comcast Foundation.
The
awards ceremony took place this year at a time when budget negotiations are
threatening to cut more funding to public schools.
One
student from each high school in California was selected to receive $1,000
scholarship, based on community involvement and excellent grades. Two girls, Martha Solis of Fresno and Laura Moya of Palo Alto, were given $10,000; and a raffle drawing
gave away four laptops. Well educated citizens are the most important product
to come out of California, Garamendi said in his address.
“California
needs you. The most important infrastructure of all is the intellectual one.
This state will not remain prosperous without investing in education, to turn
out the best workforce in the nation.”
O’Connell,
who stayed afterward to hug and take photos with families, commented that the
event will hopefully put pressure on the budget negotiations going on inside
the capitol.
“This
event represents a great partnership between communities and schools; Comcast
is really stepping up to the plate,” he said.
Asked
if the private sector can contribute enough to make up for the proposed budget
cuts, he said, “It can help augment, but not supplant the funding that has been
lost. The private sector can not assume the shortfalls of the Governor’s
budget.”
Breshears will enroll at
Westmont College in Montecito in the Fall.
“Righetti had to cut nine teachers last year because there
was no money. Some of my classes had 40
students in them this year,” Breshears said. “It
means a lot to me to get this scholarship.”
Comcast
has donated $1.9 million to high school students for higher education in 2008
nationwide.
“I don’t feel so bad about paying my cable bill anymore,”
Brashears’ father said.