Santa Cruz County came together March 31s to celebrate the youth and the community’s investment in them at the annual Your Future is Our Business (YFIOB) luncheon. Many Santa Cruz County students, educators, parents and sponsors attended.
Last year, YFIOB served more than 2,000 students county-wide. This year, in just the first quarter, that number has already been exceeded. The success of this event could not have been achieved without the support of the sponsors and attendees.
Twenty-two students were awarded scholarships that ranged from $200 to $1,000.
Yvette Lopez Brooks, executive director of YFIOB, expressed gratitude for the community’s support, saying, “We really could not do it without you. Your support has made it possible for us to reach even more students this year.”
Rosemary Menard, water director of the City of Santa Cruz, received an award of appreciation for her exceptional leadership during the 2022 Construction Trades Day. Menard’s guidance and direction were instrumental in the event’s success.
The Your Future is Our Business luncheon was a celebration of the youth and the community’s investment in them. The event was made possible by the support of sponsors who invest in the future of Santa Cruz County students.
Hear from the students:
••• Career Exploration Scholarship
Charles (Charlie) Benham, Oasis High
Nevaeh Karraker, Harbor High
Averie Young, Cypress High
Natalia Galdamez Mijango, Harbor High
Elana McGrew, Santa Cruz High
CTE Scholarship
Isabella Chavez-Guerrero, Watsonville High
Saul Cruz, Costanoa High
Kenneth (Corbin) C. Kronschnabl, Diamond Tech
Charlie Figueroa, Costanoa High
Nathaniel Dow, Aptos High
Perla Patricia Valentin, Harbor High
Eva Carrillo, Harbor High
Justy Olvera-Serna, Costanoa High
Luncheon Showcase Winners
9th Grade — Mauricio Calderon-Luis, Harbor High
10th Grade — Mary Henderson, Soquel High
11th Grade — Calvin Lenz-Parton, Harbor High
12th Grade — Corvinrook Champion, Scotts Valley High
Honorable Mention — Kenzie Smith, Aptos High; Carina Kessler, Aptos High; Monreve Maguire, Aptos High
Board Members
David Wright, VP of Operations at Elements Manufacturing
Cristine Chopra, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz County College and Career Collaborative.
Nicole Correa, Bay Federal Credit Union
Elaine Johnson, Santa Cruz County Neighborhood Courts Program
Kevin Painchaud, Photojournalist
David Lee, Assistant Professor of Computational Media at UC Santa Cruz
Michael Marheineke, Retired
Hayley Mears, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, workforce development program manager
Amy Nama, Graniterock, Environmental Services Administrator
Nisha Patel, Deputy Director of Personnel at County of Santa Cruz
Murry Schekman, Teacher, San Jose State University
Carol Siegel, Director of the After School Day Care, Inc, Campus Kids Connection, Inc,
Margie Whiting Sisk, Owner, Whiting’s Foods
Jane Iana Kostina, Diriscoll’s, Strawberry Breeder
Leslie DeRose, Cabrillo College CTE Coordinator
Dante Searcy, Human Resources Generalist for Joby Aviation
Pamela Price, Cardiovascular Critical Care Nurse
Thomas Sage Pedersen, CEO of Everyone’s Music School
•••
Sponsors: Santa Cruz County Office of Education, Bay Federal Credit Union, Construction Industry Education Foundation, Santa Cruz City Schools, San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, Live Oak School District, Graniterock, Shadowbrook Restaurant, Mary Gaukel, County of Santa Cruz, Beckmann’s Bakery, Pacific Cookie Company, Deluxe Foods
Raffle Donors: Boardwalk, Bookshop Santa Cruz
Top Photo: Your Future is Our Business Board Members David Wright and Elaine Johnson with the CTE Scholarship Awards Winners (link to original article)