Walsh Family Scholarships Assists Local College-Bound Students

Though generations apart, the legacy of the Walsh Family has made an impact today on the lives of four young Placer County students. Del Oro High School students Anna Titkaia and Alexander Greening and Placer High School students Sydney Leftridge and Rosa Olivas were recently awarded the 2009 John G. and Lillian M. Walsh Family Scholarship.

[ Listed left to right are high school seniors Anna Titkaia, Sydney Leftridge, Rosa Olivas, Alexander Greening and Placer Community Foundation board member Kelly Richardson. ]

The late Marian Vade Walsh, a fourth-generation Auburn resident, established the scholarship fund at the Placer Community Foundation as a lasting legacy to her parents. With no heirs of her own, Ms. Walsh valued higher education opportunities for all. She believed students who demonstrate the motivation and dedication to attend college must be afforded the resources necessary to achieve their academic goals. By establishing the scholarship fund through her estate plan, this deep-rooted value is now a charitable vehicle that will impact students for generations.

While the fund is managed by the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors, the scholarships themselves are administered by the Placer Union High School District and are exclusive to students attending Del Oro and Placer High Schools. Renewable scholarships were awarded to first generation, college-bound seniors planning to attend either Sierra College, or a four-year college or university.

Sydney Leftridge, a senior at Placer High School, was awarded a four-year renewable scholarship, totaling $12,000. Sydney will be attending the University of Portland in the fall and plans to major in education. “I want to make an impact on my student’s lives like my teachers made on me and because of this scholarship I get to.”

Based on Marian Walsh’s vision and wishes, the John G. and Lillian M. Walsh Family Scholarship was established as an endowed fund. The original gift is invested over time while earnings from the fund are used to award scholarships. This allows for secure, continued support to students in Placer County.

For information on establishing a charitable legacy through the Placer Community Foundation contact us.

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