Our Story

Our History

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In 1976, Dr. Ruth Kearns had a vision. She began selling used books outside the campus library to fund scholarships. From there, The San Diego Mesa College Foundation was formed to help connect people who were passionate about education with the opportunity to invest in Mesa College and Mesa College Students.

In 1987, the Board of Trustees of the San Diego Community College District set up a “Scholarship Challenge Grant,” awarding a matching gift of for scholarships. Dr. Allen Brooks, the president of Mesa College, used this as an opportunity to create a scholarship endowment. From there, the number of scholarships grew and the foundation now offers over 100 scholarships, awarding nearly $160,000 each year.

Along the way, the foundation began receiving donations of museum-quality African artwork, which was displayed in Mesa’s Learning Resource Center. Thanks to generous donors, the artwork collection grew to become the largest publically-displayed African art collection in San Diego. In 2017, it expanded to include pieces from all over the world. Now called the World Cultures Artwork Collection, it has reached over 1,200 pieces!

Today, the foundation has grown to serve over 1,000 students a year, providing innovative learning opportunities, enrichment through the arts, support for basic needs, and scholarships.

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