Video message - OCEA Scholarships Applications due June 18, 2021

Santa Ana Councilmember Nelida Mendoza is a retired OCEA member. In 2007, she and her husband were struggling to put their three kids through college. The OCEA Board of Directors Scholarship provided the extra help they needed.

Dear OCEA members,

Helping our children achieve their dreams is something every parent wants to do. For many families, that means providing a college education. Working families often need all the financial assistance they can get to make the dream of a college education a reality.

My fellow OCEA Board members and I are proud to offer OCEA Board of Directors Scholarships to working families. This benefit is available to union members only.

The scholarships are awarded to help our young adults achieve their educational dreams.  I want to share Councilmember Nelida Mendoza's story with you because it shows how a little financial assistance can help a deserving student.

In 2007, Nelida worked as a paralegal in Children and Family Services. At the time, she had two children at UCI, a mortgage, and her daughter, Marisa, graduating high school. Like many working families, the Mendoza family did not have any discretionary income. A promising student, Marisa applied for and received the OCEA Board of Directors Scholarship.

Marisa went on to great academic success and embarked on a career as a doctor. Nelida retired from County service in 2018. A former Trustee on the Rancho Santiago Community College District, she is now serving her first term on the Santa Ana City Council. OCEA is proud to have played a small part in her daughter, Marisa's, success.

Click here to view a short video message from Nelida.

The Board is offering three (3) $2,000 college scholarships that will be awarded in July. Applications can be downloaded by clicking here and must be submitted in-person at OCEA or postmarked by June 18, 2021. You can also scan and email the completed application and supporting materials to info@ocea.org.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be a child or stepchild of an OCEA member; or
• Have an OCEA member as their legal guardian; or
• Have a grandparent who is an OCEA member and is financially responsible for the applicant.

To qualify, students must also be enrolled, or intending to enroll, in an accredited community college, college or university or an accredited trade, vocational/technical school for the Fall 2021 quarter or semester.

A selection committee will review each student’s high school transcripts, current GPA, and personal recommendations. Each applicant must also submit a 750-word essay describing how they would use their college education to improve the lives of working families. The essay will be the greatest determining factor in selecting scholarship winners.

Apply now for this year's round of scholarships!

The OCEA Board of Directors is committed to supporting the next generation of strong community leaders and dedicated professionals. The annual scholarships are a reflection of that commitment. Apply now and help your students achieve their dreams.  

In Solidarity,

Lezlee Neebe
OCEA President

Publication Date: May 25, 2021