AHC Foundation Awards 605K at Scholarship Awards Ceremony
MAY 28, 2025-- Over 800 students and donors gathered at the Joe White Memorial Gymnasium on May 22 to celebrate the Allan Hancock College Foundation’s annual scholarship awards.
This year, the Foundation awarded 518 scholarships totaling $605,000 to 416 Hancock students. Generous members of the community also
funded 18 new scholarships in 2025.
“Each year, we find new ways to strengthen our support for Hancock students, and tonight’s
celebration is a powerful reflection of that growth,” said Jon Hooten, Ph.D., executive
director of college advancement and the AHC Foundation. “We’re incredibly proud of
every student recognized this evening for their hard work and achievements.”
Angela Ruiz received the prestigious Marian Hancock Scholarship. Named in honor of the late wife of Captain G. Allan Hancock, the $10,000 scholarship is awarded annually to one exceptional student who exemplifies service to the college,
academic excellence, and strong personal character. Ruiz is the 61st student to earn
the Marian Hancock Scholarship since it was first awarded in 1967.
Ruiz is graduating from Hancock with a degree in political science and will transfer
to UCLA in the fall. A first-generation college student and current Associated Student
Body Government President, Ruiz has distinguished herself through academic excellence,
leadership, and an unwavering commitment to justice and advocacy.
Motivated by a desire to transform the criminal justice system, Ruiz aspires to become
a public defender. During her time at Hancock, she was a passionate advocate for mental
health issues and was also the co-organizer of Hancock’s first Justice Impacted Summit,
an event created to promote understanding and support for formerly incarcerated students
and their families.
Ruiz’s extensive involvement in student life at Hancock includes leadership roles
in multiple student organizations, such as the AHC Book Club, the ABC Club, the Active
Minds Club and the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honors Club. She also worked on campus as a student
ambassador and off-campus in various positions while maintaining her academic goals.
Ruiz was a member of the California College Corps and a SkillsUSA national competitor,
placing fourth in the Criminal Justice division.
“My professors have been the most influential part of my experience here a Hancock,”
Ruiz said. “I hope to encourage others to further their education no matter the barriers,
just as I have worked to continue my educational and career goals.”
Hancock student Daisy Garcia was awarded the Daane Award for Integrity in Leadership,
presented in honor of longtime Foundation board member and previous president Maggi
Daane, who died in 2023. Garcia is the second student to win this award.
A scholarship committee comprised of 12 Hancock faculty, staff and Foundation board members chose
this year’s recipients from more than 860 applications.
The Allan Hancock College Foundation has been a resource for thousands of Allan Hancock
College students since 1977. The Foundation has raised funds over the years that have
changed lives through education by touching every aspect of the college’s life, including scholarships, programs, projects and faculty and staff development.
To learn more about the Allan Hancock College Foundation, visit https://www.hancockcollege.edu/foundation/index.php.
