Cox Charities Surprises 6 Deserving Santa Barbara High School Seniors with Scholarships on a Video Call

Santa Barbara, Calif. – May 21, 2021 – It was a day of anticipation as Cox Charities Advisory Board members signed onto a video call to surprise high school seniors with scholarships to help cover college costs. For the second year in a row, Cox Charities opted to virtually announce 6 recent high school graduates from Santa Barbara as the 2021 Cox Scholars recipients.

This year, Cox Charities awarded a total of $145,500 in scholarships to 34 students statewide. Cox Charities is the philanthropic arm of Cox Communications and is funded by employee donations, matched by Cox, and overseen by an advisory board of employees who volunteer their time. The donations are used to support the community in the form of scholarships and nonprofit grants. Statewide, Cox Charities has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships since 2000.

“The class of 2021 Cox Scholars are exceptional in their resiliency and adaptability due to the pandemic and excelled in their commitments to their communities,” said Sam Attisha, Senior Vice President and Region Manager for Cox Communications in California. “What an amazing group of hard-working students and community innovators. Cox is a company founded by a teacher and on the principle of continued innovation and we are proud to help these students thrive.” 

Meet the 2021 Cox Scholars

The students were selected based on their academic success, community service, leadership, and commitment to their education. The 2021 Cox Scholars for the Santa Barbara region are:

• Kamea Boucher (Carpinteria High School) is attending University of California, Davis.
• Rachel Cameron (Dos Pueblos High School) is attending University of California, Los Angeles.
• Naomi Ellis (Santa Barbara High School) is attending Wesleyan University.
• Chloe Harrah (Dos Pueblos High School) is attending Columbia University.
• Maria Elena Moscaira Morales (Dos Pueblos High School) is attending University of Southern California.
• Anouk Priebe-Garcia (Dos Pueblos High School) is attending University of California, Santa Cruz.

Cox Charities Advisory Board members invited students to participate in video calls to learn about the college they’ll be attending in the fall, their major and the career they’ll be pursuing. Each student also shared with board members the impact that a scholarship would have on them and their families. The students were unaware at the start of the calls that they had already been selected as a Cox Scholar and were surprised and excited to learn that Cox would be awarding each of them with a scholarship for college.

“It is such an honor each year to review our Cox Scholars applications and see the outstanding performance each of these students have done not just in the classroom but in their local community as well,” said Cox Charities Santa Barbara Advisory Board Member, Jeff Zamora, Cox Business Field Supervisor. “Reading their stories and seeing some of the hardships they have overcome already and the plan they have moving forward is very inspiring.” Advisory Board Member Rene Esparza, Field Service Supervisor, added “It’s inspiring to see the students follow their dreams and education amidst this COVID-19 pandemic. We are very proud of each and every one of them.”

Cox Charities awards college scholarships to graduating high school seniors across our California service areas, including Santa Barbara, Orange County, Palos Verdes, and San Diego. These Cox Scholars are pursuing careers in a STEM related field with a passion for giving back to their community.  For more information on the Cox Scholars program, visit www.coxcharitiesca.org. 

About Cox Communications
Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through technology. The largest private broadband company in America, we proudly serve six and a half million homes and businesses across 18 states. We’re dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities, and the characteristics that makes each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.