P a r a m o u n t
pulse Beat
April 2015
Serving the Community Since 1990
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PEP Scholarships Important Boost for Students, Businesses Alike David Ramirez of Paramount is a law student at Stanford University after graduating from UCLA. He said this life-altering excursion would not have been possible without the Paramount Education Partnership (PEP) scholarship program. “Going to college was fairly unattainable for me because my family was struggling financially,” he noted. “PEP provided the financial support that I needed to actually go to college. “Now that I’m done with my undergraduate degree, I’m happy to say that I graduated with littleto-no debt thanks to PEP.” This scenario has been replicated many times for more than a decade thanks, indeed, to the generosity of the Paramount business community. Over 200 scholarships worth nearly $600,000 have been awarded to local students, helping to make their dreams of going to college a reality. And it’s an ongoing process. A larger of pool of donors means more scholarships, which produces a bigger group of students who will benefit by improving their education, forging a bright future, and creating a smarter workforce. Major donors have included t h e O ffi c e o f L o s A n g e l e s County Supervisor Don Knabe, Marukan Vinegar (USA), Inc., Weber Metals, Inc., and Paramount Petroleum Corporation, Inc. Dozens of others have donated financially while even more have provided an array of raffle prizes for the annual fundraiser event. (For a full list of last year’s contributors, go to the PEP Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ParamountPEP.)
High-Profile Ways to Support PEP
Now it’s time, once again, for the organization’s major event of the year. PEP’s 12th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser is Friday, April 24, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Progress Park Plaza. It features great food and fun casino-type games. It’s a great way to support education in Para-
mount while providing plenty of opportunities to promote your business. All donations are made to the PEP 501c3 non-profit entity and are tax deductible. Another way to make the scholarship fund grow has been Pennies for PEP, held every March and featuring containers for spare change in all Paramount Unified elementary and middle schools, at the District office, the Adult School, and at City facilities. Students, faculty, staff, and others have, over the last ten years, dropped a remarkably generous $71,500 in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters in the PEP canisters. These “Penny” funds also go toward $125 scholarships for Adult School students to help offset the costs associated with taking their GED tests. Pennies for PEP events will now be happening throughout the year. The first one took place March 24th at Gus’s Deli. With 40% of a participant’s bill going toward the scholarship fund, more than $700 was raised. Opportunities to support PEP scholarships this way are open to any business in town, at any time.
Always Room For More Sponsorships
PEP is looking to involve more members of the community in advancing education. A Scholarship Business Social was held on February 26, also at Gus’s Deli BBQ & Grill. More than 70 representatives from a number of local businesses came out to learn about becoming a scholarship sponsor … and had some great food, wine, and beer while doing it. PEP is a collaboration between the City, the School District, and the Paramount Chamber of Commerce aimed at increasing educational attainment among residents. The scholarship program helps students attending a university, community college, or trade school. Take, for example, Yesica Vasquez Garcia, a business administration major at CSU, Los Angeles. “My journey has
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As they do every year, some of the “PEP Moms” from the Paramount Petroleum Community Learning Center at Spane Park help out by counting all of the spare change donated to Pennies for PEP throughout March. This year’s totals will be in soon.
The Pennies for PEP fundraising day at Gus’s Deli produced more than $700 for PEP’s scholarships thanks to a great turnout from local companies like Paramount Petroleum Corporation, which ordered 87 takeout lunches. Shown here from the company picking up the tasty fare are, from left, Joaquin Uriarte, Joshua Winters, Gus Exiga (of Gus’s Deli), Glen Clausen, and Frank Mitchell. Support came, too, from many other businesses (such as Weber Metals with 25 diners), Paramount Unified employees, Sheriff’s Department personnel, City staff, and more. An especially big thank you goes to Gus’s Deli for hosting this fundraiser as well as the PEP Business Social in February. Anyone interested in supporting the Paramount Education Partnership and its college scholarship program can call (562) 220-2121 and ask about becoming a PEP sponsor.
The PEP Scholarship Business Social in February at Gus’s Deli BBQ & Grill brought out over 70 businesses folks to learn about becoming a scholarship sponsor, including this group from Weber Metals, a company that has consistently and generously supported PEP and its goals since the Partnership’s origins. From left: Doug McIntyre, Armen Ekmekji, Jamison Hart, and Weston Gillfillan. taken me from high school to community college and a fouryear university,” she said. “I thank PEP for giving me this opportunity, because a lot of cities don’t provide scholarships that will help students. As the first child of my mother’s to
go to college, my mom had her doubts about being able to help me financially. The PEP scholarship has eased up that burden on my mom.” Your donation is an important investment in our community. To learn more about sponsor-
ship or donation opportunities, or to hold a Pennies for PEP fundraiser, or for any other information about the Paramount Education Partnership, please contact Suleyma Rosales at (562) 220-2121 or srosales@ paramountcity.com.
What’s inside Ask The Expert..........................10 Business Card Directory.............12 Business Corner.........................11 Cityscape..................................15
Closer Look.............................. 8 Help Wanted............................ 9 Mayors Corner.......................... 3 Members Only...........................14
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