Laura Segura Scholarship Fund Update

This July would have marked Laura Segura’s 56^th birthday. A social justice “warrior” Laura’s career was spent in service to her community including her role as CEO of Monarch Services a non-profit agency that provides multi-lingual crisis intervention and prevention services for women and children.

Laura passed away from cancer in June of 2022 and setting up a scholarship fund was her last wish. Laura felt strongly that she wanted to start a scholarship to help the youth of Pajaro Valley. Her fierce love, generosity, and care for us all lives on through the Laura Segura Scholarship Fund.

So far, five young adults have been awarded scholarships over the past two years for a total of $20,000. This is thanks to her vision and our community’s generosity.

Rooted in Laura’s Legacy

The Laura Segura Scholarship supports youth or young adults who have been involved with the juvenile court system (including being on probation, in foster care, or otherwise involved). Each awardee receives a one-time scholarship award of $4,000 to assist with their education expenses ahead.

And true to Laura’s spirit of ensuring equitable opportunities, applicants do not have to be high school graduates, and there are no GPA requirements. It was important to Laura, and her daughters Sara and Reyna, that applicants wouldn’t be intimidated by barriers so the application can be submitted in any medium that best reflects their experience—video, spoken words, song, narrative poetry, or another medium.

Thanks to all those who are helping lift Laura’s legacy through generous gifts to her scholarship fund.

Meet the 2024 - 2025 awardees of the Laura Segura Scholarship

Kyndra Cieara Imperial

Kyndra Imperial is ready to move mountains for her son, whose smile lights up her world. Her determination, strength, and hard work helped her secure low-income housing and begin a career as a dental assistant to provide a stable life for her son—stability that she never had as a child and young woman as she navigated parental absence, domestic violence, homelessness, and addiction. Knowing that the pay as a dental assistant wouldn’t support her and her son in the long term, Kyndra enrolled at Cabrillo to study radiology technology while continuing to work. She’s thrived in school, particularly with the Umoja Club, a learning community that integrates academics, support services, and African-American and Pan-African culture. Through Umoja, she’s found a love for digital art and crafting. Kyndra is continuing her pursuit of an A.S. degree in Health and Science at Cabrillo College with a dream of pursuing a bachelor's at UC Davis. Kyndra says, “This scholarship allows me to better my education and break a generational cycle of poverty for my son. It also gives me hope for the students that follow in my footsteps. I’ve learned that there is hope. Just apply yourself and be the best you.”

Freddie Ray Lopez IV

A student at Pajaro Valley High School, Freddie Lopez embodies resilience and self-actualization that is unusual for a teenager. His father was incarcerated when he was only two years old, and with a mother unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement, Freddie was placed into foster care. Despite these challenges, Freddie has made a positive impact within his community. A member of the Calculus Club, and Founder and President of the Culinary Club, Freddie pushes his talents to his fullest limits, even creating opportunities to teach his peers computer science skills at the introductory level. On top of his academic dedication, Freddie cares for his paraplegic uncle twice a week. Freddie has enjoyed interning with Digital NEST and plans to continue his studies in Computer Science as a full-time student at California State University Monterey Bay.

Freddie says, “This award will greatly help me obtain my goal of earning a degree in computer science by paying for part of my tuition and other school expenses.”

Here’s news from one of last year’s Segura Scholars…

Lexus Grace Castrejon-Cervantes graduated from Aptos High and just finished her first year at San Francisco State double majoring in Criminal Justice Studies and Biology. She reports that the first semester was mellow academically, but the second semester gave her a big reality check on how hard double majoring is going to be. She says, “The scholarship helped pay for my meal plan and housing, which was really important for me to have the right environment to do my best.” Next school year she’s going to “keep getting straight As” and is determined to get to know her school and program better.