We are pleased to present the Guild’s Russ Cain Memorial Student Aid Fund recipients for 2016.

Ms. Crescibene is the daughter of a San Francisco Chronicle page designer. Ms. Gatison is the grand-daughter of a Bay Area News Group editorial assistant. We asked each recipient to share their plans for college and the funds.

Sophia Crescibene

I am Sophia Crescibene. This fall, I will be a freshman Mechanical Engineering major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I chose this major because I love science, math, design and problem solving. I’m excited to learn how machines operate and how to build things. I chose Cal Poly because of its “Learn by Doing” philosophy. I look forward to taking welding next quarter! I plan to become a product designer for an innovative company, building products that make the world a better place.

My father is a page designer at the San Francisco Chronicle. I get my love of design from him. I’m happy that my dad still has a job in the field he loves, despite the massive layoffs and cutbacks that have affected so many. I think the Guild is partially to thank for this, and my family and I will always be grateful. One thing my father has always told me is that the most important thing about any job is that you love it. I hope someday to love engineering as much as he loves journalism.

Thank you, Pacific Media Workers’ Guild, for giving me this scholarship so that I can discover my passion.

Nyla Gatison

I am Nyla Gatison. I have had a passion for sports from a very early age: playing, watching, reading about, and writing about them. I am interested in the craft of sportswriters, sportscasters, and reporters, and the details of professional broadcasting. I am fascinated with the way media portrays the world of sports and works alongside it.

I am a freshman at Occidental College in Southern California. Since I was in elementary school, I have dreamed of having a career where I can treat and help people first-hand. I am majoring in Kinesiology with a minor in Public Health. Because Occidental College is a liberal arts school, I will also be able to explore fields outside of my major which will allow me to explore all my passions. I may apply to medical school, become a physical therapist or try to become a professional sports reporter. The Russ Cain Memorial Student Aid Fund helps me and my family with school supplies and books. Thank you for the support!