Two children of U.S. armed service members wrote compelling essays and won scholarships of $1,250 dollars each from San Quentin’s military veterans group.
RECIPIENTS
Winners were Olivia Piazza of Tomales High School and Saskia Tingley of Healdsburg High School.
The scholarships were presented to the high school graduates at the Vietnam Veterans Group of San Quentin at its 26th Annual Awards Banquet.
“I’m a single mother. I really appreciate and am honored by the financial assistance,” said Piazza.
“I wore my dress blues (military uniform) on the plane when I returned to the U.S. from overseas” during the Vietnam War, said Eugene Piazza, Olivia’s father. “When I arrived, I was spit on. This night makes up for a lot of what I felt at that moment,”
Tingley was unable to attend the event. Veterans from past and recent military conflicts attended the banquet in the Protestant Chapel.
MENSA MEMBER
Piazza is a member of MENSA, an organization for persons with high IQs, and attends Santa Rosa Junior College, where she maintains a 4.5 (A-plus) grade-point average. She plans to get her degree in biochemistry at the University of California at Berkeley
VVGSQ members Garvin Robinson, Ernest Vick, James Snider and Darryl Farris chose Piazza and Tingley’s essays out of 200 candidates.
SELECTION
They selected winners based on essay content, GPA, plans for further education, and their volunteer work.
Piazza’s mother and sisters attended the banquet along with her father.
Her dad served in the 7th Artillery from 1966 to 1968. “As I accept this scholarship, I think of how proud I am that my father served his country,” said Olivia.
The June 17 banquet featured Presentation of the Colors by San Quentin’s Color Guard, including the American and Prisoner of War flags.
“One of the best things the VVGSQ does, they do for the community by giving out scholarships to kids who are in need,” said Gloria Godchaux of Operation Mom.
SPONSORS
Also attending were correctional Lt. Ken Evans, the group’s chief sponsor, co-sponsor correctional Lt. Rudy Luna, Outside Veteran Coordinator the Rev. Terry Wolf and Veteran Service Officer Sean Stephens.
“I did four tours in Afghanistan for the U.S. Army 29th Infantry Battalion,” said Stephens. “Coming in here and working with Ron Self and these guys helps me more than I help them.”
The VVGSQ has awarded scholarships to the children of American veterans since 1990.
— JulianGlenn Padgett contributed to this story.
