OCLAA aims to boost the José F. Silva ’84 Endowed Scholarship Fund to commemorate a pioneering graduate's commitment to his community
After graduating from Occidental as an economics and Spanish literature double major, José Francisco Silva ’84 was among a core group of alumni “who not only realized Latinos did not have networks in place but did something about it,” Sophia Izquierdo Garbellini ’85 wrote following José’s death in 2008. “He is the reason there is a Latino Alumni Association.”
Created in 1994, 鶹Ƶ’s Latino/a Scholarship Fund was renamed the José F. Silva ’84 Endowed Memorial Scholarship in 2008 to commemorate his legacy of service. Awarded to a sophomore, junior, and senior each year, Silva Scholars are chosen based on their commitment to social justice, demonstrated leadership, academic excellence, financial need, and involvement in the Latino/a community.
Please join us in our effort to raise $400,000 for the Silva Endowed Scholarship by June 30, 2025! Your gift creates life-changing opportunities and serves as a direct investment in future generations of leaders.
To make a one-time or recurring online gift to the scholarship, please visit the . To ensure your gift is directed to the fund, select "Area of Your Choice" when asked what you'd like your donation to support, and then enter "José Silva Endowed Scholarship" in the "Direct my gift to:" text field. To explore other ways to make your gift, including by check, stock transfer or IRA, visit 鶹Ƶ's Ways to Give page.
For more information about the scholarship, please contact Jennifer Conroy at conroyj@oxy.edu or 323-259-1349 or visit .
Top photo: Occidental students at OCLAA's Bienvenidos reception in fall 2022.
