Cerritos College Foundation

Photo of Judge Pratt and scholarship recipient, Agnes Eyong. NORWALK, Calif. – November 19, 2008 – Retired Norwalk Superior Court Judge Dan Pratt, of Fullerton, presented Agnes Eyong, a re-entry student at Cerritos College, with the $1,400 Carmen Solis Pratt Scholarship at the Cerritos College Foundation’s board meeting on Thursday, November 13.

Eyong, a 39-year-old from Cameroon, West Africa, was on the verge of completing her studies in Cameroon when she had to come to America due to political turmoil. When she arrived here five years ago she had to begin her education all over again.

Since then, she has obtained her GED, became a certified nursing assistant and enrolled in Cerritos College. She currently has a 3.6 GPA, works full-time and is involved in her community and church. She will be entering the Cerritos College nursing program next semester.

“It’s really a challenge for me to be here at Cerritos College because it’s expensive,” Eyong said when she was awarded with the scholarship. “The scholarships are helping me.”

Judge Pratt established the annual Carmen Solis Pratt Re-Entry Scholarship in 2000 in memory of his mother who valued education, but was never able to attend college herself.

Each year, a recipient is selected among applicants who are re-entry students at Cerritos College and are 35-years-old or older.

“This scholarship honors students in whom I see my mother’s sense of initiative and drive,” said Pratt. “I look for where it [the scholarship] will make the biggest impact and try to take the pressure off for one year so they don’t have to worry about tuition or books.”

The Cerritos College Foundation, a non-profit organization, serves as a charitable vehicle for the community, individuals and alumni, to assist with financial support of Cerritos College beyond that which state funding supports. Visit the Foundation online at www.cerritos.edu/ccf.

Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 200 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently surpasses 24,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.

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