TORRANCE --On May 24, the law firm of AgnewBrusavich held its 16th Annual Scholarship Awards Banquet at the Double Tree Hotel in Torrance, California. The firm awarded scholarships to 27 South Bay Area high school seniors from 16 local high schools. The recipients demonstrated academic achievement, despite some having experienced personal, economic or family adversities. The majority of the students plan on attending two-year community colleges, participating in the Honors Transfer Program which will almost guarantee them transfer to a four-year university.
This year’s awards banquet brought to 383 the total scholarships awarded by AgnewBrusavich.
Palos Verdes Peninsula residents Gerald Agnew and Bruce Brusavich principals of the firm, decided years ago to give back to the community by providing scholarships to local high school students intending to enroll in community college. The scholarship provides necessary funds for the students to meet their first semester obligations for tuition, books and fees.
The selection process starts with a personal application by the student and includes an essay about the student’s goals, ambitions and life experiences. The recipients are selected by Mr. Agnew and Mr. Brusavich and their law firm’s administrator, Daniel Favero.
AgnewBrusavich hosts the annual awards banquet for the recipients and their parents, friends, teachers and counselors. To date, the firm has contributed more than $211,000 to this successful program.
This year’s guest speakers were Joe Holliday, the Program Director at El Camino College for the Honors Transfer Program, and the Honorable J. Gary Hastings, California Court of Appeal, Second District, Retired.
The 2010 scholarship recipients were: Mitchum Van Blaricom, Hawthorne High School; Stephanie Palomino, Hawthorne High School; Evelyn Soto, Lawndale High School; Edith Marquez, Lawndale High School; Alicia Ooshani, Lawndale High School; Coreisy Barrera, Leuzinger High School; Nadia Naseem, Leuzinger High School; Brenda Robles, Leuzinger High School; JaToy Williams, Leuzinger High School; Kyle Miyamoto, Narbonne High School; Alyssa Nguyen, North Torrance High School; Tyler Kawasaki, North Torrance High School; Denise Zamora, Port of Los Angeles High School; Selina Robles, Port of Los Angeles High School; Joseph Salazar, Port of Los Angeles High School; Kanyarat Tapaneeyakorn, Redondo Union High School; Brittany van der Goes, Rancho Del Mar High School; Natalie Suric, San Pedro High School; Jose Gonzalez, San Pedro High School; Danielle Dewitz, Kurt T. Shery High School; Jasmine Coleman, Kurt T. Shery High School;
Jessica Irrera, Kurt T. Shery High School; Natalie Bullock, South Torrance High School; Erin Henning, South Torrance High School; Natasia Handoyo, Torrance High School; Michael Chavez, Torrance High School; and Michelle Marks, West Torrance High School.
CLOTHES THE DEAL
AgnewBrusavich is proud to be a supporter and facility drop-off site for Clothes the Deal, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the unemployed, low wage earners and at-risk youths to obtain employment and move toward self-sufficiency. Gently used clothing and shoes can be dropped off at AgnewBrusavich where they are collected by Clothes the Deal to be recycled to give these individuals a second chance.
LITTLE COMPANY OF MARY TRINITY CARE HOSPICE
AgnewBrusavich supports several local causes and charities, including the Little Company of Mary Trinity Care Hospice, which provides hospice services, free of charge, to the terminally ill.
EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
Gerald E. Agnew, Jr., and Bruce M. Brusavich are members of Southwestern University School of Law "Deans Cabinet"
Bruce M. Brusavich serves on the California Advisory Board of Chaminade University, Honolulu, Hawaii
