The Padres Scholars program provides bright yet financially challenged students a $5,000 scholarship (plus accrued interest) to attend a four-year college or university.

Students are selected as eighth graders based on the premise that they, who invariably face dangerous temptations, might opt for the straight and narrow route through high school if they had a guarantee that their good efforts would be rewarded with a college education.

To date, 359 scholars have been selected and over 200 have graduated from high school. We plan to welcome our 14th class of 15 scholars on June 8, 2008.

Each year, Padres players donate their money, and the club's owners match their donations, to fund 15 scholarships ($105,000 each year). The San Diego Union-Tribune, Qualcomm, Union Bank and Point Loma Nazarene University have been valuable partners in this program.

All Padres Scholars are enrolled in AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), a college-preparatory program which provides students with the academic support and counseling to succeed. Conceived by Clairemont High English teacher Mary Catherine Swanson in 1980, AVID is now in place in schools throughout the world and has been highly successful in preparing under-served and under-represented students for college. For more information on AVID or how a child can participate in AVID, please speak to your middle school counselor or call the AVID Center at (858) 623-2843.

Over the past 13 years Padres' players, owners, corporate partners and front office staff have donated over $1.9 million- an investment in San Diego which will hopefully launch hundreds of community-conscious citizens into our society who will succeed and continue the cycle of support and giving.

For more information on the Padres Scholars Program or the Padres Foundation for Children, contact the Community Relations Department at (619) 795-5275.

Please congratulate our most recent class of Padres Scholars, introduced on June 10, 2007:

Class of 2007

Ricky Acosta		Bear Valley Middle School
Eden Aklile		Farb Middle School
Maricela Altamirano		Rancho Minerva Middle School
Carolina Calvin		Oak Valley Middle School
Juan Ceja		Montgomery Middle School
Materno Hassan		Aviara Oaks Middle School
Deziray Hernandez		Greenfield Middle School
Jessica Jarrett		Lincoln Middle School
Shauna Kim		Potter Junior High School
Nicholas Martinez		Washington Middle School
Cassandra Marusa		Carlton Hills Elementary
Monica Melendez		Calavera Hills Middle School
Hector Peralta		Montgomery Middle School
Berenice Pineda		Keiller Leadership Academy
Isaac Rodriguez		San Ysidro Middle School
Traonte Scales		Farb Middle School
Aldair Serrano		Southwest Middle School
Seraphina Solders		Tierra del Sol Middle School
Felix Teran		San Marcos Middle School
Victor Vargas		De Portola Middle School
Sonia Vasquez		Rancho Minerva Middle School
Edgar Vega		Rincon Middle School
A'zhane' Williams		San Elijo Middle School
Leslie Zepeda		Palm Middle School
Beatrice Zuniga		Jefferson Middle School

Padres Scholar Graduates