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For Immediate Release
June 18, 2002
OAKLAND, Calif (June 18, 2002) - Today, two
employee associations at the Port of Oakland, the Asian Employees
Association and the Port of Oakland Employees' Scholarship Program,
generously awarded 37 scholarships totaling $57,000 to students
entering college or vocational school this fall. The scholarship
awards were presented at a ceremony during the Port of Oakland Board
of Commissioner' s meeting. Port of Oakland Board of Port Commissioners
President Phil Tagami and Port of Oakland Executive Director, Tay
Yoshitani officiated in the awards ceremony.
Board President Tagami remarked that, "These
students represent our future. They are an exemplary group of
students and worked hard to achieve where they are today."
Tay Yoshitani said, "I am so proud of the Port employees.
They volunteer all year to organize these scholarship programs.
Raising funds for it is always a challenge when you have so many
deserving students."
The Asian Employees Association began their scholarship program
in 1993. This year, they are awarding 10 $1,000 scholarships
and 4 $500 scholarship to deserving Oakland high school students
and children of current Port employees. As of today, they will
have awarded 56 scholarships totaling over $45,000 since 1993.
"These students are very deserving of any honor they receive,"
said Sandra Yee, co-chair of the Asian Employees Association
of the Port of Oakland. "We have an extremely rigorous
selection process, and each of these student sailed through
that process," she added.
The Port of Oakland Employees' Scholarship Program
awarded 23 scholarships totaling $45,000. This is the eighth year
of their program. To date, they have awarded 134 scholarships totaling
more than $193,000. This year, they are inaugurating a new scholarship-
the Charles W. Foster scholarship. This is $5,000 to go to a single
individual who is planning on public service. "This scholarship
was to honor former Port Executive Director Chuck Foster, who was
key to initiating the Port scholarship programs," said Jon
Amdur of the Port of Oakland Employees' Scholarship Program. Additionally,
they awarded 18 scholarships of $2,000 each to students entering
4-year institutions, and 4 scholarships of $1,000 each to students
entering 2-year or vocational institutions. They are also students
at Oakland high schools or children of Port employees. It was difficult
to narrow the selection from the initial 100 applications,"
said Jon Amdur. "I wish we had more money to give, since they
were all so commendable," he added.
A reception in the student's honor was held
after the awards
ceremony. They were celebrated by family, friends, school administrators,
as well as corporate sponsors.
Contact:
Marilyn Sandifur
Media and Public Relations Manager
(510) 627-1193
msandifur@portoakland.comAlternate Contact:
Midori Tabata
Communications Assistant
(510) 627-1187
mtabata@portoakland.com |
