SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — More than $500,000 in scholarships will go to Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) students and graduates for the upcoming academic year, the LTCC Foundation announced last Friday, as recipients gathered at the college’s annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon to celebrate with the donors behind their awards. At this year’s luncheon, more than $359,000 in scholarships was awarded to 133 students.

Students, donors, staff, board trustees, and community members gathered to recognize academic achievement and the generosity of the donors who make it possible.

“Ten years ago, LTCC awarded $104,000 in scholarships. This year, we’ll surpass $500,000,” said LTCC Superintendent/President Jeff DeFranco. “That growth reflects what happens when a community decides that a student’s financial situation shouldn’t determine their future.”

“On behalf of the Foundation, we are proud of LTCC’s students’ resilience and dedication,” said Nancy Harrison, Executive Director of the LTCC Foundation and College Partnerships. “It’s an honor to recognize their achievements with scholarships made possible by generous donors who believe in their future.”

LTCC congratulates all scholarship recipients and thanks the individual donors, family foundations, businesses, and community organizations whose support makes these awards possible.

This year’s event highlighted several scholarship programs with strong local ties. The Bradley R. Schiller Foundation Economics Scholarship – backed by a million-dollar donation announced at last year’s State of the College Address – has provided $50,000 in scholarships over the past two years. This year, 11 students are confirmed recipients, with 10 more pending completion of Economics 101 or 102 with an A or B grade. Dr. Schiller, author of widely used economics textbooks including “The Economy Today” and “The Economics of Poverty and Discrimination,” created the scholarship to help students understand the role economics plays in shaping communities and improving lives.

“It is a point of pride for me to share that I graduated from LTCC in 2016,” said Antonio Benitez, Director of Lake Tahoe College Promise. “LTCC gave me a high-quality education that allowed me to transfer to, and graduate from, UC Berkeley. It was also a building block toward my master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in Higher Education. And this past weekend, I submitted my application for a doctoral program. I share this with you, not because I want to make this about me, but rather, to share a living example of what LTCC can do for every single one of you.”

Benitez directs the Lake Tahoe College Promise, LTCC’s signature support and student success initiative, which provides up to three years of free tuition, books, and wraparound services for first-time, full-time students in the Tahoe Basin.

The luncheon also marked the inaugural Glenn Barclay Memorial Scholarship, established by Glenn’s family and friends to honor his life and support a veteran student at LTCC. After graduating from high school, Glenn Barclay enlisted in the United States Navy and served as a jet mechanic from 1967 to 1971. He settled in South Lake Tahoe after his service, building a career as a general contractor. His wife, Nancy, spent more than 20 years teaching Spanish at LTCC; his son, Nick, serves as the college’s Director of Fiscal Services today. Both were present on Friday for the scholarship’s first award.

Four students were recognized with the H.E.R.O. (Honoring Excellence and Rewarding Optimism) Award, presented each year by a coalition of more than 50 local businesses and organizations to students who have overcome significant obstacles on their path to a college education.

“These are students who have carried real weight – loss, financial pressure, family responsibility – and kept going,” said LTCC Superintendent/President Jeff DeFranco. “That kind of determination is worth celebrating, and we’re grateful to the community partners who make it possible to do so.”

Edder Misael Velasquez Ramos, known as Misael, works in LTCC’s Extended Opportunity Programs and Services program while pursuing his studies. He earned a 4.0 GPA in fall 2025 and winter 2026 and will transfer to California State University, Chico, where he plans to double major in finance and accounting in the honors program.

Rebecca Del Rio Gonzalez is a first-generation student and co-captain of the LTCC women’s soccer team. She is transferring to California State University, Sacramento, with a goal of becoming a teacher and returning home to South Lake Tahoe.

Delos Moore is a student in LTCC’s Rising Scholars Program and serves as both a peer mentor and a member of the LTCC Student Senate. He has been accepted to California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt, to pursue a bachelor’s degree in forestry.

Silvia Rebecca Valdivia Guzman, known as Becky, carries four to five courses per quarter while working in LTCC’s Child Development Center. A first-generation student, she is transferring to California State University, Sacramento, to study early childhood education, with plans to come back to South Lake Tahoe as an educator.

The luncheon also featured the President’s Service Award, supported by the Pipkin Family Foundation, which has recognized students who have distinguished themselves through service to LTCC since 2020. This year’s recipients are Hudson Conners, who has served in athletics, club leadership, the Fiscal Services Department, student housing, and most recently as Student Trustee, and is transferring to San Francisco State University; and Sofia Marroquin, Student Senate president and Vice Chair for Region II with the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, who is transferring to California State University, Chico. LTCC thanks the Pipkin family for their generosity and ongoing commitment to recognizing student service.

For information about scholarship opportunities or to support LTCC students through the Foundation, visit ltccfoundation.org or call (530) 541-4660, ext. 266.