Don Diego Scholarship Foundation’s Board of Directors recently announced the 25 stellar recipients sharing $93,500 in 2025 college scholarships, according to a news release.
The Class of 2025 will be feted at Don Diego’s June 27 Gala and Jon Pardi Concert at the San Diego County Fair. Tickets for this exclusive celebration, which also honors longtime Del Mar Thoroughbred Club CEO and Don Diego Board member Joe Harper, can be purchased at www.dondiegoscholarship.org.
“Resilience is the defining characteristic of this year’s high-achievers,” said Don Diego Chair Kirby Morrison in the news release, saying the recipients are deserving on multiple levels: academic, financial, and trailblazing potential. He explains, “Many have surmounted family hardships, personal struggles, health challenges, and tragic circumstances to shine as leaders and mentors. We thank our generous donors, including many board , for propelling these persevering young adults to higher education. We eagerly look forward to cheering them on as they pursue their college and career goals.”
Don Diego annually offers college scholarships in various categories to students who reside in San Diego County and have participated in the San Diego County Fair and/or other activities associated with the Del Mar Fairgrounds. This year’s process was highly competitive, with 79 applicants vying for awards.
One of the top four recipients was Anairis Canseco of Solana Beach:
Being one of the only students of color at San Dieguito High School Academy could be “difficult,” acknowledges Canseco in the news release, but she used that challenge to fuel her drive for academic excellence while rai others in her Mexican community and the wider school population to use their voice.
Canseco will take that dynamic spirit of inclusivity, robust leadership, and dedication to community service to Brigham Young University, where she will major in political science on her way to becoming an immigration attorney. Propelling Canseco forward is a $5,000/year Dredge Family Four-Year Scholarship and a $5,000 Karetas Family Endowment Employee Scholarship, for an overall total of $25,000.
Canseco worked for the fair for two exciting summers, recounting, “In my job as public ambassador, I would make sure everyone who entered the fair would get on and off the trams safely and enjoy their day,” she said in the news release. She also worked as a hair salon receptionist while devoting time to academics and extracurriculars.
An active ASB leader, she notes in the news release, “In my executive outreach position, I planned events such as an All School Assembly to kick off the year, exposing students to the different resources our school offers, and Gratitude Week, where students have the opportunity to use their voices positively.” This AVID Top STEM Scholar who won an array of awards from service organizations also tutored a first-grader while volunteering at Casa de Amistad and gave back to the community in multiple ways.
Her teachers laud Canseco’s “remarkable persistence and commitment to ing others,” noting, “Her ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds showcases her innovative approach to building community.” Imbued with empathy, Canseco is poised to extend the ambassador mentality inculcated at the fair in her first-in-her-family journey to college. She says in the news release, “I feel super grateful for this blessing to my education. The scholarships will make my parents’ dreams for me come true.”
One of the additional scholarship winners was Del Mar resident Tate Criqui who received a $2,500 Schenk Family Endowment Employee Scholarship; Cal Poly SLO; computer science, the news release stated.
Visit www.dondiegoscholarship.org for more information.
The Don Diego Scholarship Foundation was named for Don Diego, aka Tom Hernandez, who served as San Diego County Fair’s welcoming goodwill ambassador from 1947-1984. Since its inception in 1986, the foundation has awarded $1,510,344 in scholarships to 434 students and in Plant*Grow*Eat agriculture education grants, which enable elementary students from San Diego area Title 1 schools to learn about agriculture and nutrition while enjoying a day at the fairgrounds.
