The Network for California Community College Foundations Celebrates Statewide Philanthropy during El Camino College Scholarship Awards

SACRAMENTO, CA — The Network for California Community College Foundations (NCCCF) honored Carol and Kevin Sharer and The Sharer Foundation with the 2025 Bernard Osher Philanthropist of the Year Award on May 14 during the El Camino College Foundation scholarship dinner in Torrance. The prestigious statewide award recognizes extraordinary philanthropic support for California’s 116 community colleges and the 2.2 million students they serve annually.

During the event, more than $1.1 million in scholarships was awarded to El Camino College students for the 2026-2027 academic year. Among them were seven Sharer Scholars, each receiving $8,000 annually for two years to help cover tuition costs based on financial need.

The annual NCCCF Bernard Osher Philanthropist of the Year Award was established in 2009 to honor businessman and philanthropist Bernard Osher. His $25 million gift combined with matching funds helped create the $76 million California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment, one of the largest scholarship investments in the system’s history. 

Continuing that legacy, The Sharer Foundation has supported over 200 Sharer Scholars, including 182 students in California, and awarded more than $5.76 million in scholarships. Today, the Foundation focuses exclusively on supporting California community college students through partnerships with El Camino College, Santa Monica College, and the University of California, Berkeley.

“Giving back to our great country is the idea. Our hope is to help 100 students a year stay enrolled in school through the Sharer scholarship,” said Philanthropist of the Year recipient Kevin Sharer.

Distinguished speakers included: Brenda Thames, President of El Camino College, Andrea Sala, Executive Director of the El Camino College Foundation, Philanthropists Carol and Kevin Sharer, David O’Brien, Vice Chancellor of External Relations for the California Community Colleges, Keetha Mills, President and CEO of the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC); Sally Cox, CEO of the Foundation for Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges and NCCCF Board Member, and El Camino College alumna Ava S.

The impact of that support was reflected as El Camino College alumna Ava S. took the stage.

Raised by a single mother in a low-income household, Ava, 21, received the Sharer Scholarship while attending El Camino College before graduating in June 2025.  “I was hungry for knowledge,” Ava said. “I always wanted to do engineering, but I didn’t know how to get there.” Through dual enrollment courses in high school, Ava pursued every engineering class available and said much of her academic and personal growth happened at El Camino College. There, she learned how to navigate higher education, understand degree pathways, and pursue her dream of becoming an engineer.

Now attending the University of California, Los Angeles, Ava has used her scholarship funds to help cover tuition, books, and living expenses. With fewer financial burdens, she has been able to focus on hands-on engineering projects, including building a drone and a hydrogen-powered car.

“The things I’ve been able to do are possible because I’m a college student,” she said.

Ava’s interests lie at the intersection of ocean science and technology. This summer, she will intern with SLB OneSubsea, a global leader in subsea technology. “All of these are opportunities I never dreamed of in high school,” Ava said. “I’m so grateful to El Camino. I don’t think I would have gotten here without them.”

Other El Camino scholarship recipients included Kylie S. A first-generation Samoan American, Kylie, 24, is one of 18 grandchildren in her family and the first to graduate from college. “Receiving this scholarship is emotional for me,” she shared. “As a role model to my siblings, I hope to become a counselor for students who look like us and to help create intergenerational change.” This fall, Kylie will transfer to California State University, Long Beach, to continue studying sociology. Her goal is to become a college counselor dedicated to supporting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students, as well as other underrepresented students. 

FoundationCCC President and CEO Keetha Mills emphasized the broader impact of philanthropy across the California Community Colleges system.

“Everything we do is designed to support students,” Mills said. “The stories we are celebrating today define the purpose of philanthropy. We are showing students what’s possible.”

California Community Colleges Vice Chancellor David O’Brien echoed those sentiments.

“The first word in community college is community,” O’Brien said. “Community is nothing without its people. That is why we are here tonight to honor our students and those who have supported you along the way. You can’t put a price on someone who has helped you succeed.”

He concluded with a message to current students and graduates alike: “I encourage students to come back as alumni and pay it forward.”

In 2024–25, the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment supported 4,046 students through $3.9 million in scholarship awards, made possible by the generosity of the Bernard Osher Foundation and many other donors throughout California. 

To support student scholarships or to learn more, visit the NCCCF web page.

Watch the event recording >