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, Oxy’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.
Top photo: Occidental students at OCLAA's Bienvenidos reception in fall 2022.
