OXNARD, SANTA PAULA : 4 Minority Youths Win Scholarships

A Channel Islands High School student who received a $3,500 scholarship from the Ventura County Minority Business Group will use the money to help pay for her first year at UC Berkeley.

But ultimately, senior Susana Pitones said, the investment made by the group will come back to the county when she returns with her college degree.

“I would like to come back to the county and work here,” Pitones said. “I see a lot of need for Latinos to come back to Oxnard. I want to be a role model and show others that it can be done.”

Pitones was one of four county high school students who each received $3,500 scholarships from the group. Ventura County National Bank contributed $4,000 to the fund, and individual members of the group donated a total of more than $10,000.

The scholarship fund is in its second year. Winners are selected based on academic excellence, community involvement and financial need.

Other winners of $3,500 scholarships were Shelly Soto, a senior at Santa Paula Union High School; Juan Lechuga, a senior at Oxnard’s Rio Mesa High School, and Christina Mata, also a senior at Rio Mesa.

In addition, 19 finalists each received $100 savings bonds from the bank.