Incoming El Camino College Student is Ready to Serve Community and Make a Difference
Incoming El Camino College Student is Ready to Serve Community and Make a Difference
High school senior plans to attend El Camino in the fall to pursue a nursing degree
Outstanding high school student Elizabeth Gonzalez has big plans for her future, and she chose El Camino College to help her get there. The senior at Elizabeth Learning Center in Cudahy is on track to become a nurse, inspired by the care her father received when he suffered multiple strokes. A $2,000 scholarship from the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team will help her cover college fees and other expenses.
“This opportunity means more than just financial support; I really want to create a lasting change in my community and use my education to help provide compassionate health care to families in need,” said Gonzalez, who plans to attend El Camino in the fall. “I want to become a nurse because I have seen firsthand the incredible impact they have in helping others in need. Nurses were there not only helping (my dad) physically but also supporting my family emotionally.”
Gonzalez’ scholarship is part of a campaign where the California Community Colleges “ICanGoToCollege.com” (I CAN) program partnered with the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers to award a combined $40,000 in scholarships to current and prospective community college students across Northern and Southern California.
As a celebration of education, opportunity, and community pride, each team launched a student video contest, inviting applicants to share their educational journeys, personal goals, and what community college means to them. All eligible submissions were reviewed and scored based on four core criteria: individual impact, community impact, creativity, and storytelling. The top 10 entries from both organizations were selected to each receive a $2,000 scholarship, bringing the total donation to California Community College students to $40,000.
The Los Angeles Clippers announced scholarship recipients during a broadcast that coincided with Game 6 of their playoff series. The scholarships were generously donated by the Kings and Clippers team foundations and do not involve ICanGoToCollege.com campaign funding or state taxpayer dollars.
In Gonzalez’s video, she describes her goal to become a nurse and notes that her parents are her biggest inspiration to never give up on her dreams and goals. She has already been preparing for college academics through her high school’s Health Academy, where she took classes such as sports therapeutics and patient care to build the knowledge, skills and compassion she needs to be able to help others.
“What excites me the most about attending community college is the opportunity to grow both academically and personally while staying close to home,” she said. “I know El Camino will provide the foundation I need to succeed in nursing school and beyond.”
Registration is now open for summer and fall 2025 at El Camino College. Hundreds of in-person, online, and hybrid courses are available to help students meet their academic and career goals in a welcoming educational environment.
The schedule of classes, in both digital and searchable formats, can be viewed online: www.elcamino.edu/admissions/schedule.asp. Students may register online 24 hours per day at www.elcamino.edu by clicking on MyECC. Financial aid is available to qualifying students – go to www.studentaid.gov/ to apply. For more information, view www.elcamino.edu or call toll free 1-866-ELCAMINO.
More information about El Camino College’s Nursing Program is available online: www.elcamino.edu/academics/areas-of-study/nursing.php.