OXNARD : 2 Students Win Minority Fund Scholarships

Vaughn Gaston is a believer in what he calls the “slow, hard way” of making it through life.

But Gaston, a 47-year-old Oxnard College student, discovered early on that hard work wasn’t the only way to get by. After barely graduating from high school, he spent 24 years “working against the system,” hustling for a living and abusing drugs.

In 1991, after finishing a drug rehabilitation program, Gaston decided to go back to school. He started slowly, taking only a few classes, including one on how to succeed in college.

Now Gaston is one of two Oxnard college students to win a statewide scholarship competition for minorities in higher education.

Offered for the first time this year, the scholarship fund was created in the name of Jonnah Laroche, a former president of the state academic senate. Laroche, who died last year, asked her family to create the fund from her estate to help minority students pursue college degrees.

Three students were chosen from about 50 students who applied out of 56 eligible colleges in Southern and Central California. Next year, the scholarships will be offered to students in the northern part of the state.

The Oxnard College recipients included Gaston and Regina Bailan, who used the $500 she was awarded to go to UC-Irvine.

As a continuing student at Oxnard College, Gaston was awarded $250.

It may not seem like a lot, but Gaston, who has relied on state-funded programs for money to buy books, said every little bit counts.

“Without this type of support financially, I couldn’t be in school,” Gaston said.

In addition to maintaining a 3.5 grade-point average while earning a certificate in alcohol and drug counseling, Gaston has been active in a number of student groups and is involved in opening a community drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for African Americans.

In the spring, he will attend Cal Lutheran University on a full scholarship to study business and sociology. When he graduates, Gaston plans to continue his social service work.

“I want to work within the system instead of trying to take advantage of it,” he said. “As a black man getting an education, I hope I can give something back and help someone.”