The Santa Maria Valley YMCA was the venue for the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara's "Lunch & Learn" event on Wednesday.
KSBY spoke with the foundation's president and CEO, Melinda Cabrera, right before the lunch kicked off.
She said that the event was meant to bring the scholarship foundation's partners together to embrace the work that they've been able to accomplish, and to think of new ways they can make an even greater impact moving forward.
"We were established in 1962, and since then, we've awarded over $150 million in scholarships. Last year we were able to award $17.1 million to over 1,700 students. We want to continue with that tradition of providing access to post-secondary education through scholarships," said Cabrera.
She added that the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara also provides financial aid advising to those pursuing a higher education.
Community support plays a big role in the foundation's ability to serve students, according to Cabrera.
"We really feel empowered by our community partnerships and how much support that students receive through our community. We want to access that energy and all of the passion that this community shares for its students, and we want to provide the highest quality services in way of financial aid advising."
Cabrera says that, as seniors start thinking about where they want to go for college or vocational school, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is there to support them through the process.
The foundation is accepting general scholarship applications through Feb. 18.
For a complete list of eligibility and to access the application, click here.
