Paul H. Schoenbeck Memorial Scholarship

Two things—a solid Lutheran background and a love of teaching—made Paul H. Schoenbeck a natural friend and supporter of California Lutheran University.

Paul served his country during World War II, spending two years in the Marine Corps. During his service he was wounded on Iwo Jima and received the Purple Heart. He was discharged in 1946 and soon began his academic journey, earning a bachelor’s degree in social studies and English at Wartburg College in Iowa, a master’s degree in secondary school administration and reading from the University of Iowa, and a doctorate in leadership and human behavior from U. S. International University.

Professionally, Dr. Schoenbeck enjoyed two careers—one in insurance, which was short-lived, and the other in teaching, which proved to be his legacy. Before moving to California in 1961, Paul owned a successful insurance agency in Iowa. It was in California, however, that he discovered his true calling.

After teaching for six years at the American Institute of Banking in San Diego, he joined the faculty at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, where he truly made his mark. There he pioneered several reading, vocabulary and tutoring programs which his teaching colleagues considered to be a boon for their classes and students as well as his own. He was a popular teacher and his trademark class was Words and Their Use, a vocabulary development course which he taught for 24 years. Dr. Schoenbeck retired from formal teaching in 1990 but continued tutoring privately in his home.

The Schoenbeck family included his wife Anja and four children—a daughter and three sons. Two of those sons, Paul and Mark, attended and graduated from CLU in 1990 and 1996 respectively. Following Dr. Schoenbeck’s death in 1999 the family determined that the appropriate method of honoring his lifetime devotion to education was through this scholarship. The Paul H. Schoenbeck Memorial Scholarship is earmarked for a student with a strong academic record who is pursuing a teaching credential. Thus, Paul Schoenbeck’s legacy of teaching and learning lives on.