Mission Scholars

Congratulations to the Mission Scholars Class of 2026! Today marks the culmination of years of hard work, resilience, and determination. These colleges are incredibly lucky to welcome such talented, driven, and inspiring students onto their campuses. Your journey is just beginning, and we can’t wait to see the impact you’ll make. Oh, the places you’ll go 🌎💫

At Wendy’s NYU graduation ceremony, she placed her graduation gown on her mom as a way to honor the sacrifices her parents made so she could be where she is today. The emotion on her face says it all 😭

As our students walk across graduation stages across the country, we honor the parents behind the scenes, the pillars of strength, the quiet supporters, and the true heartbeat behind all their success.

To the parents: this degree belongs to you, too 🎓 💙

What do the only 2 recipients of the prestigious $50,000 Edison International Scholarship have in common? They are both Mission Scholars! We are so excited to share that Shelby from Santa Barbara High and David from Carpinteria High were the only 2 seniors in our entire county who received this incredible scholarship that will make their big dreams of pursuing higher education now possible! 

David and Shelby applied to the scholarship as part of their Mission Scholars scholarship plan and have spent the past several months completing their applications, writing essays, gathering letters of rec, recording powerful finalist videos, and above all, believing in themselves that they could get it. 

They both aspire to become civil engineers, inspired by their families and the communities and spaces that shaped them. Shelby’s quote, through tears after the emotional surprise announcement in her 3rd period math class, sums it up: “I just want to make a change in the world.” David and Shelby, you already are! 

Read more here: https://www.independent.com/2026/03/27/santa-barbara-county-high-school-seniors-surprised-with-50000-scholarships/

📸: SB Independent

BIG dreams. Fierce courage. $25,000 closer to college 🙌🏽✨

We are beyond proud of Mission Scholar Sonia, recipient of the Suzanne Patmore Gibbs Courage Award from Girls Inc. of Carpinteria ❤️ As part of her Mission Scholars college scholarship plan, Sonia applied for this prestigious award — and earned it.

Sonia has been part of Girls Inc. since she was just 6 years old and is now a member of the Eureka! program, where she has grown in confidence, found her voice, and learned to advocate for herself and others. In her own words, “Receiving this scholarship truly means a lot to me because it allows me to continue my education without worrying about the cost and pursue my goal of becoming a lawyer to advocate for others.”

Congratulations, Sonia. Your resilience and leadership inspire us all. The future is yours. 💫

📸 credit to the talented .photographysb

It’s Financial Aid February here at Mission Scholars! What happens after Mission Scholars submit their college applications? SCHOLARSHIPS! ✅

This month, we’re helping students and families unlock resources like grants, scholarships, financial aid opportunities, and more — because college affordability matters.

Reminder: FAFSA/CADAA Priority Deadline = March 2, 2026. It’s free to apply, so submit now to maximize aid opportunities!

Don’t forget to utilize local supports like Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, Cal-SOAP, CSAC Cash for College workshops, and high school college & career centers that can share lists of local scholarships for college!

True community magic ✨ Our seniors wrapped up a powerful Financial Aid Workshop thanks to two incredible partners. The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara joined us to share about their local scholarships—part of a years-long partnership we’re so grateful for! And opened up their beautiful theater to create such a welcoming space for our students. This night was a beautiful reminder of what’s possible for local students when community comes together around access, opportunity, and college affordability. 💛🎓

Behind every college acceptance, scholarship win, and career milestone is a team that believes deeply in our students. 💙✨

Meet the Mission Scholars Program Coordinators, Mayra & Kristine, the heartbeat of our work—championing college access, affordability, and long-term career success every single day.

“The best part about working for Mission Scholars is the opportunity to collaborate with such passionate, thoughtful, and determined students. Supporting them as they navigate their paths to college is truly inspiring. While our students may believe they are learning from us, we learn just as much, if not more, from them. Seeing how genuinely grateful they are makes our work that much more rewarding.”
— Mayra & Kristine 🫶🏽

Grateful for a team of leaders who uplift, empower, and walk alongside our scholars every step of the way. 🌟🎓

MISSION SCHOLARS NAMED NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR!

Thank you SB Young Professionals Club for elevating and honoring the work we do in the community — and for consistently recognizing the heart, grit, and brilliance of our students. We’re deeply honored to receive the Nonprofit of the Year award and felt truly celebrated and uplifted at this weekend’s gala! Thank you for seeing us ✨

This Giving Tuesday, we chose to give back and pay it forward in the most meaningful way ❤️

Mission Scholars Juniors Jacky and Mimi led a powerful student-driven effort to assemble comfort kits for our unhoused neighbors, benefiting Transition House. Their leadership in creating a club on their campus “Hands of Hope” and bringing people together reminds us what Giving Tuesday is all about — compassion, community, and showing up for one another.

“Hands of Hope was created to be consistent in giving back to our community. I’m proud to say that our club has donated to Cottage’s Pediatric Department and is now donating to Transition House, which is a local homeless shelter. This will be our 2nd donation in the span of 3 months! Mission Scholars has been a huge help in supporting our club and has allowed us to be successful. We hope to continue on giving back to our community, as it’s needed right now more than ever.” -Mimi

Join us in celebrating and supporting the next generation of changemakers!