KING CITY — On a night filled with gratitude, excitement and hope, the annual King City Scholarship Banquet, held April 28 at the Salinas Valley Fair, brought together students, families, donors and community members to celebrate the bright futures of local seniors.
The event honored the hard work and potential of students from King City High School while highlighting the generosity of the 68 donors who made 189 scholarships possible this year. The total amount of these scholarships added up to over $200,000.
Scholarships offered to KCHS students have been around for at least 62 years and have evolved drastically in that time, growing in applicants, scholarships and money offered for students. Originally managed by the school and local companies, the process was later taken over by a nonprofit organization, the King City Community Scholarship Foundation (KCCS).
With the leadership of individuals like Pam Kirkpatrick, Samantha Johnson and Sarah Nash, they created a foundation to keep scholarships available for students without placing a financial burden on the district.
“A lot of local community members believe in KCHS students and know that the future requires the success of these students, so they try and do their part in supporting the future of these students,” Nash said. “For somebody to give a scholarship, it’s great. These donors are truly making an impact.”
This year saw a record number of student applicants. This is thanks to a recent change that moved the application deadline to after winter break. This gave students time during winter break to work on their applications and make the most of this opportunity. The banquet, though not mandatory, is treated with respect. Students are encouraged to attend dressed professionally as a way to make a strong impression on those who believe in them.
“First impressions have a big impact,” Nash said. “The better you look, the better the assumptions people make, and you want people to think the absolute best about you whether it was it was at the interviews or the banquet.”
The event is a true community effort, with the junior honor guard (juniors with the highest GPA in their grade level) and other students volunteering to help set up, serve and clean up afterward. Although the school funds the banquet and materials, the foundation often loses money on dinner costs, making student and community volunteers even more important.
After receiving awards, students are expected to write thank-you letters to their donors, continuing a long-standing tradition of gratitude.
“It’s just polite,” Nash said. “It shows that you care.”
As students prepare for the next chapter in their lives, the scholarship banquet reminds everyone that King City is a community where people invest in each other. The scholarships aren’t just money, they’re a message: We believe in you.
