Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares was among a group of educators and philanthropists honored by the Orange County Hispanic Education Endowment Fund for helping increase the number of students on the path to college.
Mijares received the group’s “Apple of Gold for Excellence in Education” award for his work over the years helping support college readiness and success for scores of Orange County students.
Others recognized at the Orange County Hispanic Education Endowment Fund’s annual celebration held last week at The City National Grove of Anaheim were: Century High guidance counselor Beau Menchaca; Olive Crest Founders Dr. Donald and Mrs. Lois Verleur; Alex Serna, executive director of Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano; and Angels owner Arte Moreno, and wife Carole, founders of the Angels Baseball Foundation.
The Fund serves students who live in the county, with the mission to improve access to higher education for local Hispanic students. The Fund offers competitive academic scholarships for high school and community college transfers, awards tuition grants, and provides scholarships for college graduates to attend Law School. For the current academic school year, the Fund has awarded more than $250,000 in scholarships.
Mijares, who has served as Orange County superintendent since 2012, also served as superintendent for 11 years in the Santa Ana Unified School District.
“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized with such an outstanding group of individuals who do remarkable work each day to support young people in our community,” said Mijares, who was unable to attend the ceremony because of a previous engagement in Washington, D.C.
“I have tremendous admiration and respect for the work the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund does to help students on their path to higher education,” he said.
“Because of your efforts, countless students have found opportunities to improve their lives, and the lives of those around them. This has made Orange County a stronger place for all of us to live and work in.”