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5 Faces of Philanthropy

Annual Awareness Campaign Shows Significance of Philanthropic Giving

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Shota Atsumi, Oscar Vazquez, Keelan Doss, Kendra Hall and Martin Vega-Martinez.
<strong>Shota Atsumi, Oscar Vazquez, Keelan Doss, Kendra Hall and Martin Vega-Martinez.</strong>

Philanthropy impacts the life of every single Aggie. Whether you’re a student, parent of a student, staff or faculty, we all benefit from philanthropy.

A blue ribbon attached to the Mondavi Center.
A blue bow symbolizes the philanthropy that went into the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. (Gregory Urquiaga/ٺƵ)

Philanthropy takes many forms: It can be in the form of a scholarship for a first-generation student, or an endowed chair position to fund important research or a new building or campus structure to enhance the ٺƵ community. All of these are essential to creating an innovative learning environment, built around serving the greater good.

From May 1 through 16, the aims to draw attention to the facilities, programs and research that have been made possible in part by the generosity of others. Blue bows affixed to buildings, rooms, signs and more across both the Davis and Sacramento campuses mark the influence of philanthropy on our daily lives. 

Check out for videos and stories all about philanthropy at ٺƵ, along with an interactive campus map showing what has been made possible by philanthropy and where.

All students are invited to the Aggie ThankU festival from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Thursday (May 2) on the Quad, to express their gratitude. The event will feature free pizza for students as they write thank-you notes, and free T-shirts, too.

The five faces below represent only some of the many people whose ٺƵ experiences have been enriched by the generosity of donors. Share your own story on social media using the hashtag #byphilanthropy.

Keelan Doss ’18

Keelan Doss catches a football.
Keelan Doss, who struggled with injuries throughout his high school career, received only one scholarship offer: ٺƵ.

National Football League scouting report websites had a lot to say about standout student-athlete Keelan Doss as a possible draft pick last week. And while he was not selected, he was signed immediately after as an undrafted free agent, going to his favorite childhood team, the Oakland Raiders — a dream come true for the Alameda County native.

Chancellor’s Fellow: Associate Professor Shota Atsumi

Shota Atsumi in a lab.
Shota Atsumi hopes to create a chemical that can act as a replacement for fossil fuels.

The heat is on as society searches for a substitute for petroleum and fossil fuels, which currently power much of the machines and technology in homes, schools and workplaces. Shota Atsumi, associate professor, is experimenting with new and exciting ideas in order to make the world a more sustainable place for the next generation.

Kendra Hall ’19

Kendra Hall
“I am now positioned to lift my family out of poverty,” Kendra Hall writes.

At age 22, Kendra Hall was a struggling single parent of two daughters, longing for a better life. Through the UC Blue and Gold plan and other scholarships, she was able to continue her education and realize her dream of achieving a bachelor’s degree at age 34. This would not have been possible without the generous support of donors. 

Oscar Vazquez ’20

Oscar Vasquez in military uniform.
Oscar Vasquez was serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq when he decided more research was needed into traumatic brain injuries.

From Puerto Rico to Iraq to UC Berkeley and now at ٺƵ, Oscar Vazquez ’20 finds his passion for the brain everywhere he goes. Now, he is leading meaningful work by researching traumatic brain injuries in the School of Medicine, where he received the 2016 Sandra Reed Scholarship and the 2017 Dean’s Scholarship.

Martin Vega-Martinez ’20

Martin Vega-Martinez sits in front of an orange wall.
Martin Vega-Martinez has become a leader in several groups on campus.

Hope is a powerful emotion — it can get us through tough times, and it can help us persevere through trials and tribulations until we reach our goal. Third-year mechanical engineering student Martin Vega-Martinez is the perfect embodiment of what hope, combined with hard work, looks like.

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