Foothill Yasukawa Memorial Workforce Scholarship

In loving memory of George and Chiyomi Yasukawa, this scholarship is offered to students who have shown a passion for their education in workforce majors and intend to seek employment after graduation from Foothill College.
George and Chiyomi Yasukawa were born to immigrant parents. Both their families were farmers, often moving to follow the crops. When the United States entered World War II, their families were moved to internment camps in Arizona.
George left the camps to join the army and was based with the highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Unit. He was based in Europe and fought many battles in France and Italy. In addition to a Purple Heart, he received a Congressional Gold Medal and the Legion of Honor awarded by France to those who helped liberate their country. When returning from the war, George became an auto mechanic in the Bay Area. He not only fixed cars and trucks, he had a knack for fixing any appliance or mechanical system in need of repair. Chiyomi enjoyed learning new skills and earned 2 AA degrees at a local community college while raising 5 children. George and Chiyomi valued education and believed that continuous learning was key to future success. They instilled in their children the importance of being lifelong learners and hoped to help the next generation achieve their educational goals.

• Applicant must be enrolled at Foothill College in at least 6 units at the time of application and disbursement of scholarship funds.

• Applicant’s cumulative Foothill GPA must be a 2.5 or higher

• Must be enrolled in a workforce AA/AS/BS degree or certificate program at Foothill that leads to employment after graduation: Dental Assisting/Hygiene, Pharmacy Technician, Radiologic Technology, Veterinary Technology, Respiratory Therapy, Environmental Horticulture, Ultrasound, Paramedic or EMT programs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Applicants with financial need will be given preference. We, therefore, strongly recommend that applicants file a current academic year’s financial aid application (the FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens, or the California Dream Act Application at https://dream.csac.ca.gov for undocumented students who qualify for AB540 status)