Thanks to the exceptional generosity of one of our current grandparents, in the form of an inspirational $1,000,000 leadership gift commitment, Laguna Blanca School has established The Whittier Scholars Program to provide three years of full tuition for qualified, prospective students who demonstrate financial need to attend the Upper School grades 10 through 12.

The Whittier family, one of the pioneer families in Southern California, has a long history of philanthropic giving that has touched literally hundreds of Southern California educational and arts institutions through 11 related family foundations.

“We are thrilled to announce this generous leadership gift,” said Headmaster Paul Slocombe. “It helps tremendously towards addressing three key long-term goals: sustaining scholarship funding, strengthening our endowment, and building programs to provide advanced educational opportunities for talented students who otherwise would not be able to attend Laguna Blanca.”

The Whittier Scholars program will be supported by an annual gift of $100,000 for ten years. This visionary annual commitment will be allocated in two important ways: $75,000 for annual student financial aid and $25,000 toward an endowment fund for the program. Each year, scholarship candidates will be recommended by Laguna Blanca’s admission committee, with final awards determined by the Whittier Scholars Advisory Committee. At the end of the ten-year period, at least 25 students will be beneficiaries of the Whittier Scholars Program and an initial endowment of $250,000 will be established.

According to one of the founding family members, “Our hope is that the program will be a great success and that the endowment will continue to grow with additional gifts from the Laguna community to help sustain the program in perpetuity.”

For information on opportunities at Laguna Blanca School, please contact the admission office at 805.687.2461 x210 or jbalak@lagunablanca.org.