Sempra Energy Gives Scholarship Awards to Two Cerritos Students

Two Cerritos High School students have been awarded thousands in college scholarship funds from Sempra Energy as part of the company's annual scholarship program for children of employees.

The Dons' Sonia Sharma was one of the company's grand prize winners receiving $16,000, along with another student who wishes to remain anonymous who received a one-year $4,000 scholarship award -- monies that can be used as the students continue their education at a four-year college or university, community college, trade or technical school.

“We are committed to investing in the education of our next generation of leaders and are pleased to help support the children of our employees through the Sempra Energy scholarship program,” said G. Joyce Rowland, senior vice president of human resources, diversity and inclusion for Sempra Energy.

Since the program’s inception in 1999, Sempra Energy has funded more than $2.5 million in scholarships for more than 400 students.

To maintain impartiality in the selection of recipients, the program is administered by Scholarship Management Services®, a division of Scholarship America®, the nation's largest non-profit, private-sector scholarship and educational support organization. The top scholarship applicants were then interviewed by a panel of Sempra Energy executives to determine grand-prize winners. Winners were selected based on their academic and non-academic criteria, including: academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, work experience, extra-curricular activities, educational goals, career aspirations and educators’ appraisals.

Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2011 revenues of $10 billion. Sempra Energy’s principal subsidiaries are San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas Co., Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, and Sempra International.