Livermore residents Bryan Balazs and Lori Souza have generously donated $100,000 to the Pedrozzi Foundation to endow a scholarship.

"One of the important things we've learned from the work of the Pedrozzi Foundation is that community college students often struggle to complete their educational goals to earn a degree or complete their certificate or transfer program. We wanted to help students address this challenge, and we created the Pedrozzi Continuous Achievement Scholarship (PCAS) to further help Pedrozzi Scholars towards the completion of their community college goals. We wanted this endowment to provide additional resources where we believed it to be most needed," share Balazs and Souza.

The first three recipients of the newly created scholarship were recently awarded funding in addition to their Pedrozzi Scholarships. PCAS recipient Suzanne Montgomery says, "I am a mother of two young children, which at times can be difficult while attending school, but my children are also the driving force of my inspiration. This scholarship will help me pay for school supplies and gas to get to and from school, as well any other financial obstacles I might run into." This summer, Montgomery will begin classes at Chabot College in the Medical Assisting Program, adding to her previous course work at Las Positas College. "I have always had a passion for helping others and have wanted to work in a care setting since high school. I am so grateful to receive the scholarship, as it will help me greatly in furthering my education," added Montgomery.

"Through their work as Pedrozzi Foundation and Las Positas College Foundation Board Members, Bryan and Lori (respectively) know the important roll community colleges play in educating the future work force. We are grateful that they have joined with us to financially support scholars progressing toward transferring or earning a degree or certificate while balancing school, work, and challenging personal situations," says Carolyn Siegfried, Pedrozzi Foundation Executive Director. "I hope their philanthropy will inspire others to also invest in local students."

PCAS recipients will be annually selected from among new and continuing Pedrozzi Scholars. Since 2008, the Foundation has awarded $4 million in community college, undergraduate, graduate and vocational scholarships to 1,100 graduates of the Livermore schools. All are invite to the Bankhead Theater in downtown Livermore at 5:00 PM on May 15 as the most recent Pedrozzi Scholars gather to celebrate with family and friends.

The Pedrozzi Foundation was established by Mario Pedrozzi, a Livermore businessman, who left his estate as a gift to the community. Others, such as Bryan Balazs and Lori Souza, are continuing Mr. Pedrozzi's legacy by donating to this unique and high-impact organization.

The original article is available at https://patch.com/california/livermore/pedrozzi-continuous-achievement-scholarship-endowed