Below is a press release issued on June 10, 2021 by Santa Ana College.
Santa Ana College Foundation Receives Pledge of $100,000 to Establish New Cordoba Scholarship Fund
(Santa Ana, CA) – The Santa Ana College (SAC) Foundation is thrilled to announce a “challenge gift” of $100,000 from Cordoba Corporation CEO and philanthropist George L. Pla and his family in support of the Foundation’s Raising the Game campaign. The pledge, which Mr. Pla unexpectedly doubled, was announced at the 2021 Scholarship and Awards Ceremony last month where George served as keynote speaker and challenged his fellow supporters to match the gift. The Cordoba Corporation gift will establish the Cordoba Scholars, a new initiative providing scholarships and internship opportunities at the Cordoba Corporation for SAC students who aspire to enter the fields of business and entrepreneurship.
“We are very grateful for Mr. Pla’s outstanding gesture of philanthropy and delighted to take on the challenge,” said SAC Foundation Executive Director Christina Romero. “SAC’s dedication to student success is mirrored by our generous donors who honor the same commitment of supporting dreams and giving students that extra financial assistance to advance them in their journey toward a rewarding career.”
Donors and friends of the SAC Foundation are called to meet this challenge by making a gift to any one of the many initiatives across the Foundation’s mission. Examples include scholarship support, Fine and Performing Arts, Greatest Need funding, and other program funding that all Raise the Game for Santa Ana College students. Donors wishing to directly honor Mr. Pla’s initiative may choose to contribute to the Cordoba Scholarship Fund.
From left to right: RSCCD Chancellor Marvin Martinez, George Pla, Santa Ana College Interim President Dr. Marilyn Flores, Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento
The newly established Cordoba Scholarship Fund will provide students with much-needed help toward tuition, books, and other costs associated with completing their education. Accompanying the $100,000 pledge, Mr. Pla also committed to offering students the opportunity to participate in a summer internship program at Cordoba Corporation to receive invaluable, real-world business experience.
“It is the generosity and commitment of donors like George L. Pla that assist the college in cultivating a robust educational environment and services for our students to thrive,” said Santa Ana College Interim President Dr. Marilyn Flores. “Through partnerships like this, where students are given extra financial assistance for their education as well as the opportunity to participate in summer internship opportunities aligned with their career goals, fosters and advances student success and helps our community to prosper.”
Beginning today through the start of the fall semester on August 23, philanthropic gifts or pledges of any size to the SAC Foundation will be automatically counted towards the George L. Pla Matching Gift Challenge until we reach our $100,000 goal. Donors will have their impact towards the designation of their choice doubled with the dollar-for-dollar match, allowing the SAC Foundation to greatly amplify its impact across all needs as the college prepares to support students in their return to campus in August and beyond. All donors participating in the challenge will be recognized as Raising the Game campaign donors at the level at which their gift or pledge is matched (i.e. a gift of $1,000 is recognized as a gift of $2,000). The Foundation encourages its partners to consider extending their commitments to multi-year pledges, knowing that this incredible opportunity will allow their impact to extend even farther.
Pla is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who is the Founder and CEO of the Cordoba Corporation, a nationally recognized California-based infrastructure development company. It has been recognized by Engineering News-Record as a Top 50 Program Management and Top Construction Management firm in the nation, and as a Top California Design firm. Cordoba Corporation manages and operates eight offices statewide, including one of its largest offices located in Santa Ana.
George Pla with Santa Ana College students
“George Pla’s generous gift will provide a pathway for students in our community to transform their lives through higher education and mentorship opportunities afforded by the Cordoba Corporation, and that is something to celebrate,” says Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento. “I hope this generous gesture encourages more philanthropy to help meet the challenge goal so that more students can graduate and succeed.”
For anyone interested in getting involved and donating as part of this matching challenge, please visit www.sac.edu/foundation and click on “Donate Now” button, call (714) 564-6095, or visit rtgcampaign.org for more information.
About Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College (SAC), which turned 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, provides invaluable workforce training, and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 11,000 students are served through the college’s School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation’s top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.
