On September 11, 2015, representatives from California Water Service (Cal Water) were joined by several state legislators at the Capitol to recognize students pursuing higher education by awarding company scholarships totaling $60,000. The two grand-prize recipients, Fariha Hameed from Westlake Village and Sophia Leiker from Chico, each received $10,000 scholarships for their outstanding academic achievements and community service. In addition, 20 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $3,500 were awarded to various students from Cal Water’s service areas.
Assembly Member Jacqui Irwin, representing the 44th Assembly District and Cal Water’s Westlake service area, commented in Cal Water’s press release, “Fariha’s years of academic excellence, dedicated volunteerism, and leadership have not gone unnoticed in our community, and we are so lucky to have her. I know she will continue to make our district proud.”
Assembly Member James Gallagher from the 3rd Assembly District, which includes Cal Water’s Chico service area, said in the press release, “I was honored to join Ms. Leiker this morning as she was awarded a $10,000 scholarship from Cal Water. Sophia is a very bright young woman and does great work with young women in our community. I am glad Cal Water is able to assist in furthering her education at an outstanding university like Cal.”
To apply for the Cal Water scholarships, students must live in a Cal Water service area. They also must plan to enroll as full-time undergraduates at accredited two- or four-year colleges or vocational-technical schools and not have a degree or diploma from any of those institutions. Information and guidelines on applying for the next round of scholarships in spring 2016 can be found at Cal Water’s Scholarship Program webpage.
“One of Cal Water’s core values is to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve,” explained Chief Executive Officer Martin A. Kropelnicki in the press release. “And by helping young people pursue a college education, we are making an investment in our young people’s future. We are confident these remarkable men and women will go on to accomplish great things and represent their communities well.”
