Our Donors

Computer pioneer honors wife and grandson with scholarship

"I've lived the American dream," said UCSC emeritus professor Harwood Kolsky. "I was helped by three scholarships to get through school so I know how important they can be."

Supporting a family passion

$1 million gift will help fund a new education wing at the Center for Ocean Health.

Jerry Ruiz is fulfilling his life's mission

Attorney Jerry Ruiz (Crown '77) aids underserved neighborhoods and helps kids from those communities go to college.

Hellman Family Bestows Boost for Research

"One of the best things my family has ever done with our giving."

Faculty Lead by Example

"The Environmental Sciences faculty decided to take it upon ourselves to raise the money and offer these classes long-term."

Bill Dickinson (Cowell, '68)

"I learned at UCSC to take an idea and not just say 'isn't that a nice idea' but ask how do you actually go live it."

Virginia and George Jansen

"We are really happy to know that our future gift will make a difference for the University and McHenry Library—the library that dutifully and reliably supported my research over 35 years.”

Sharon Dirnberger

“To people who tell me Shakespeare is ‘too highbrow,’ I tell them, ‘bring your picnic; bring your wine.’ The redwood glen is a magical place.”

Linda & Bill Anderson and Raymond E. Davis Jr.

"People assume that because you’re an adult, you have the money to pay for school. It’s often even harder for returning students."

Joseph Bunnett

"It's a win-win situation," said professor of chemistry emeritus Joseph Bunnett of his planned gift to UC Santa Cruz. "To my way of thinking, it's hard to say whether it's a gift to this worthy institution, or an investment for my family."

Barbara Canfield

UCSC Foundation trustee Barbara Canfield made a gift of stock to UCSC’s Soroptimist International of Santa Cruz Endowment.

Alison Keeler Carrillo

Artist and teacher Eduardo Carrillo continues to inspire and support students thanks to the generosity of his widow, Alison Keeler Carrillo, and other donors who have established a scholarship in his memory.

William Alfred Chavez

The William Alfred Chavez Student Award is granted to academically outstanding students from the San Joaquin Valley who show commitment to increasing understanding or improving the welfare of Chicanos and Latinos in the U.S.

Allan J. Dyson

"You can have a good public university based on what the state budget is, but you can't have a great public university without having the active involvement of donors in all sorts of areas, donors small and large."

Ken and Moira Feingold

"College expenses have gone up so much, many families that could afford it in our day no longer can. So by supporting scholarships, we want to encourage all those students to attend."

Sandra Frausto

“Sandra wanted to be a teacher. She saw how hard our mother worked to put all eight of us through school and how important our education was to her. For Sandra, there was never any question that she would go on to college.”

Santa Cruz Seaside Company Scholarship

"To be able to create a scholarship for local students studying at UC Santa Cruz is something I'm very proud of. I want to help ensure that future generations of local students are able to pursue their dreams through education."

Lee and Dan Gilbert

"It was very easy for me to go to college. My parents paid for it, and I lived in a dorm. We were served our meals in a dining room by waitresses! So I could particularly appreciate how hard it is for any re-entry student, and especially for women."

Lisa Gimmy

"When the student callers contact me and they're asking for donations, and they explain what they go through now and you compare it to what you were offered, your heart just goes out to them."

Mark Headley

"I had no idea there was a job called portfolio manager out there, but the work I was doing at UC Santa Cruz, comparing the economic development of countries, is exactly what I'm doing today."

Christy Anh-Thu Trinh-Malarney

"So many of Christy's interests and concerns came together at UC Santa Cruz. She felt that the university, the education, and the extracurricular activities were some of the most tremendous experiences of her life."

Paul Rabwin

"It's clear that the creative environment at UC Santa Cruz is what motivated me to succeed in this career." Rabwin supports the UC Santa Cruz theater arts program "financially, emotionally, and spiritually -- anything I can do to help."

Winifred Steiner & Mary Beth Train

A remarkable scholarship that began with one woman’s generous spirit continues to grow through a family’s commitment to education and service.

Stephen Klein

"People who have a stake in UC Santa Cruz need to step up and make that concrete. One way to do that is to give your time and another way to do that is to give your money. I'm able to do both, and I'm grateful for the opportunity."

Mary Thush

"Having no immediate family, I wanted to leave my estate to an educational institution like UCSC."