The Bill de la Fuente Scholarship Foundation celebrated its 10th Anniversary Scholarship Dinner Wednesday evening at the North County Regional Education Center, bringing together students, educators, business leaders and elected officials to recognize scholarship recipients and a decade of community investment in higher education.
The annual event honored graduating seniors from high schools across North County while celebrating the partnerships between local businesses and community members that continue to make the scholarship program possible.
Among those attending were San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, Vista City Councilmembers Katie Melendez and Corinna Contreras, Vista Unified School District Trustee Cipriano Vargas, foundation founder Bill de la Fuente, members of the Board of Directors, scholarship recipients and their families.
Vargas delivered the evening’s keynote address, offering a unique perspective as a former Bill de la Fuente Scholarship recipient. He reflected on the impact the scholarship had on his own educational journey and encouraged this year’s recipients to pursue their goals while finding ways to give back to their communities.
Scholarships were awarded to students representing high schools throughout North County. This year’s recipients included:
Vanessa Cruz Martinez — Oceanside High School
Pablo E. Avalos — Mission Vista High School
Richard A. Higuera — El Camino High School
Samantha Lopez Cordova — Rancho Buena Vista High School
Yahir Pineda Landeros — Vista High School
Emily Rafez Lopez — Mission Vista High School
Ashley Castellon Hernandez — Fallbrook High School
Jeflin Velazquez Lopez — Vista High School
Keyri Sosa Bautista — Fallbrook High School
The evening also included recognition of community sponsors, presentation of the Estrella de la Comunidad Award and fundraising efforts supporting future scholarships.
Created in honor of longtime North County businessman and community leader Bill de la Fuente, the foundation continues his commitment to education, civic engagement and community service.
As the owner of De la Fuente Party Supplies and founder of Comerciantes Latinos Asociados (CLA), de la Fuente understood the challenges of owning a small business. He spent years bringing entrepreneurs together, including many Latino business owners, encouraging them to become active participants in their communities and invest in the next generation through education.
Today, the scholarship program continues to be supported by local business owners, families and community members. Many of the entrepreneurs who worked alongside de la Fuente over the years continue to support the foundation through sponsorships, fundraising and volunteer service.
The foundation is led by an all-volunteer Board of Directors that includes President Irma Cano, Parliamentarian and founding board member Henry Vasquez, Administrator Natasha Cano, Student Liaison Arleth Flores Aparicio and Social Media Lead Alexis Flores.
