Emory Family Science Scholarship

Suppose you are a couple of modest means, living in Oxnard, and you have two sons who both want to go to California Lutheran University. You agree that it will help your financial load if they commute to campus rather than live on campus. The boys are both good students and are only two years apart in age. Even by having them live at home, the strain on the family budget is hefty. But after six years they have both graduated and you are finally free of tuition payments. What is your next move?

This is not an imaginary situation, but the way things actually happened for Russ and Jane Emory. And here’s the incredible answer to that last question. Almost before the ink was dry on the final tuition check, Jane called the University to inquire about the procedure for setting up a scholarship. She said her sons, Steven and James, had had a wonderful experience at CLU and had received an excellent education. Now she and her husband Russ wanted to find a way to convey their gratitude.

Russ had been a firefighter for Ventura County for 30 years. After he retired, he taught fire technology at the local community college. Jane spent several years managing a medical office in Ventura. They were justly proud of their sons, both of whom marred CLU alumnae. The family’s loyalty to CLU was very strong.

In the years following their graduation Steve and James began to demonstrate that quality of education in their achievements and professional progress. Steven went on to Indiana University where he earned a Ph.D. He became a researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Several years later he accepted a faculty position at Western Washington University in Bellingham. James took a different but rewarding path. After graduation he found a position as a compounding chemist for Medical Analysis Systems and later worked for Bio-Rad Laboratories in Irvine, the top specialty diagnostics company in the world. CLU equipped both brothers with skills needed to advance in their chosen professions.

The Emorys took a personal interest in the recipients of their scholarship and kept a notebook of the letters they received from students. The sole criterion for selection is that the recipient must be either a chemistry or biology major. The Emorys would be happy with either but they just might be somewhat partial to chemistry.