Don Diego Awards $93,500 in College Scholarship to 25 Stellar Students

Don Diego Scholarship Foundation’s Board of Directors is delighted to introduce the 25 stellar recipients sharing $93,500 in 2025 college scholarships.

The Class of 2025 will be feted at Don Diego’s June 27, 2025 Gala and Jon Pardi Concert at the San Diego County Fair. Tickets for this exclusive celebration, which also honors longtime Del Mar Thoroughbred Club CEO and Don Diego Board member Joe Harper, can be purchased at www.dondiegoscholarship.org.

“Resilience is the defining characteristic of this year’s high-achievers,” believes Don Diego Chair Kirby Morrison, saying the recipients are deserving on multiple levels: academic, financial, and trailblazing potential. He explains, “Many have surmounted family hardships, personal struggles, health challenges, and tragic circumstances to shine as leaders and mentors. We thank our generous donors, including many Board members, for propelling these persevering young adults to higher education. We eagerly look forward to cheering them on as they pursue their college and career goals.”

Don Diego annually offers college scholarships in various categories to students who reside in San Diego County and have participated in the San Diego County Fair and/or other activities associated with the Del Mar Fairgrounds. This year’s process was highly competitive, with 79 applicants vying for awards. Here are the winners:

Being one of the only students of color at San Dieguito High School Academy could be “difficult,” acknowledges Anairis Canseco of Solana Beach, but she used that challenge to fuel her drive for academic excellence while raising up others in her Mexican community and the wider school population to use their voice.

Anairis will take that dynamic spirit of inclusivity, robust leadership, and dedication to community service to Brigham Young University, where she will major in Political Science on her way to becoming an immigration attorney. Propelling Anairis forward $5,000/year Dredge Family Four-Year Scholarship and a $5,000 Karetas Family Endowment Employee Scholarship, for an overall total of $25,000.

Anairis worked for the Fair for two exciting summers, recounting, “In my job as Public Ambassador, I would make sure everyone who entered the Fair would get on and off the trams safely and enjoy their day.” She also worked as a hair salon receptionist while devoting time to academics and extracurriculars.

An active ASB leader, she notes, “In my Executive Outreach position, I planned events such as an All School Assembly to kick off the year, exposing students to the different resources our school offers, and Gratitude Week, where students have the opportunity to use their voices positively.” This AVID Top STEM Scholar who won an array of awards from service organizations also tutored a first-grader while volunteering at Casa de Amistad and gave back to the community in multiple ways.

Her teachers laud Anairis’ “remarkable persistence and commitment to supporting others,” noting, “Her ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds showcases her innovative approach to building community.” Imbued with empathy, Anairis is poised to extend the ambassador mentality inculcated at the Fair in her first-in-her-family journey to college. She says, “I feel super grateful for this blessing to my education. The scholarships will make my parents’ dreams for me come true.”

Madeline Davis of Valley Center is as plucky as her mom, who has navigated life as a single parent of four by holding numerous jobs, including a poultry processing farm, so it is no surprise she confides, “Agriculture was naturally rooted in my life from an early age.” Madeline plans to pursue her passion by majoring in Agriculture Business and minoring in Animal Science at California State University Chico, supported by three Don Diego scholarships: a $5,000/year Edwards Family Four-Year Scholarship,
$5,000 Karetas Family FFA Scholarship, and $5,000 Tellam Foundation JLA Scholarship.

Supported by the $30,000 in scholarships and her ardent ambition, Madeline confidently declares, “I envision myself eventually in agricultural policy or law; advocating for the two percent of Americans who feed us all. Whether it’s managing a large farm, lobbying for ag legislation, or walking the Capitol in my first-ever pantsuit, I’m committed to making a meaningful impact.”

Madeline has already made a meaningful impact through her activities in FFA, which she says, “became my family, my mission, and my home.” She served as San Diego Section Secretary and Southern Region Vice President, honing her leadership skills and becoming a mentor to younger kids. She says that her nearly lifelong involvement in FFA, 4-H and all things ag at the Fair “have taught me responsibility, patience, and resilience, giving me the confidence and values I’ll carry into adulthood.”

In addition to maintaining a high GPA, Madeline has worked at a local feed store, volunteered in her community, and helped raise money for people impacted by the January 2025 L.A. area fires. She plans to continue working hard at Chico State, interning with the swine unit and seeking employment to help support herself. Plucky, indeed!

Kate Xu of San Diego will take her Del Norte High School 4.65 GPA, impressive talents, and two Don Diego scholarships totaling $10,000 to prestigious MIT, where she will double-major in Mechanical Engineering and Environmental Engineering on her way to tackling what she calls “pressing real-world environmental issues through the lens of robotics and biomimicry.” She won a top $5,000 Ranglas Family Endowment Exhibitor/Participant Scholarship and coveted $5,000 Spanjian Family Endowment Scholarship, named after the “Father” of Don Diego, Bob Spanjian.

This World-Science Scholar was one of only 52 young thought-leaders awarded globally for a year-long advanced mathematics/physics curriculum featuring discussions with Nobel Laureates. She also is an internationally recognized researcher in the field of Kawasaki disease, with which she was diagnosed at age three, and a gifted pianist who has performed at Carnegie Hall and the largest concert hall in Paris.
Kate qualified for the scholarship by competing at the Fair for successive years with the RoboctoPI team; in the process being encouraged to apply by her team colleague, top 2024 Don Diego recipient Nico Usher, who currently matriculates at MIT.

Kate’s instructors herald her as exceptional: a deep thinker with a creative mind … a prolific photographer, baker, and musician … outstanding because of her giving spirit, eagerness to learn, dedication to research, academic prowess … and desire to make a global impact.”

With her trademark combination of humility and humanity, Kate reveals, “I’ve discovered fulfillment in creating solutions for communities worldwide. I’m honored to be carrying out my dreams with the support of Don Diego.”

As a 10-year-old, Connor Nelson joined his 4-H beekeeping project to overcome his fear of bees. He courageously conquered his trepidation and developed the skills needed to inspect hives, becoming what his 4-H recommender heralds as “an effective leader inspiring others with his enthusiasm,” including educating Fair visitors about bees and beekeeping.

Today, as President of the Ramona Stars 4-H Club, Connor has immersed himself in agriculture (beekeeping, swine, poultry, sheep, horse, dog, dairy goats) and other pursuits (visual arts, shooting sports, photography). He also has won multiple awards in industrial arts metal/welding.

The latter talent dovetails with Connor’s intention to become a mechanical engineer. He will major in Mechanical Engineering and minor in Advanced Manufacturing at California State University Chico on his way to a career in hydropower engineering. He says, “I would like to enter into the design side, helping to create more energy- and cost-efficient turbines and related systems.”

Connor received a $5,000 22nd DAA/DMTC in honor of Joe Harper 4-H Scholarship,

$2,500 JLA Scholarship, and a $1,000 Alumni Scholarship. Following in the footsteps of his sister, Morgan, a 2023 Don Diego recipient, Connor is a goal-oriented Scholar who achieves his personal best in all fields he enters, including varsity soccer. His GPA of nearly 4.5 ranks him 11th in his Ramona High School class of 300. Vowing to seize opportunities at Chico to build real-world experiences, he already has secured informal internship offers from industry leaders for the summer after his freshman year. Don Diego believes that Connor is destined to become an industry leader in his own right.

He reveals, “The Don Diego Scholarship, to me, represents the culmination of all of my summers as a kid and all of the hard work that I put in with my livestock at the Fair each year. I am extremely proud to be able to represent my 4-H club in this way.”

Tate Criqui; Del Mar; $2,500 Schenk Family Endowment Employee Scholarship;
Cal Poly SLO; Computer Science

Gabby Anderson; La Jolla; $1,500 Howell Boys Employee Scholarship; Northwestern University; Cognitive Science

Elona Gevarges; San Diego $1,000 Joe Harper Endowment Employee Scholarship;
SDSU; Hospitality & Tourism Management

Aubree Hoyt; Alpine; $2,500 Zable Foundation 4-H Scholarship; $2,500 JLA Scholarship; Point Loma Nazarene; Kinesiology

Kiara Konyn; Escondido; $1,500 Ecke Family 4-H Scholarship; $5,000 Tellam Foundation JLA Scholarship; University of Wisconsin; Animal Science/Pre Veterinary

Emerson Rockwell; Valley Center; $1,000 Shewmaker Family Endowment 4-H Scholarship; Western Kentucky University; Elementary Education

Mariah Morris; Ramona; $2,500 Tulloch Family Partners FFA Scholarship
CSU Channel Islands; Elementary Education

Alice Powell; Fallbrook $1,500 Roxana Foxx Endowment FFA Scholarship;
Cal Poly SLO; Agribusiness

Weston Merriman; Santee; $1,000 Kirby Morrison FFA Scholarship; $2,000 JLA Scholarship; Modesto Junior College; Agribusiness

Clayton Critz; Fallbrook; $2,000 Royster Family Endowment Vocational Education Scholarship; Cuesta College; Fire Science & Viniculture

Kelsey Weller; Julian; $2,500 Mark Arabo Vocational Education Scholarship
Tulsa Welding School; Welding

Kaitlyn Law; San Diego; $2,500 Chicken Charlie Exhibitor/Participant Scholarship;
Cornell University; Operations Research & Information Engineering

Logan Brown; San Marcos; $1,500 Mannen Family Endowment Exhibitor/Participant Scholarship; Caltech; Electrical Engineering

Teo Konyn; Escondido; $1,000 Shewmaker Family Endowment Exhibitor/Participant Scholarship; University of Idaho; Food Science

Jamie Newton; Escondido; $1,500 Brother’s Forever Scholarship; Cal State San Marcos; Child, Youth, and Family Development

Madyson Hayes; Fallbrook; $5,000 Tellam Foundation JLA Scholarship; Cal Poly SLO;
Animal Science

Anton Hester; San Diego;
$3,500 William and Betty Ann Tulloch Endowment JLA Scholarship; University of Idaho; Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary

Sage Bowles; Escondido; $1,500 JLA Scholarship; University of Arizona; Veterinary Science

Rhys Morey; Valley Center; $1,500 JLA Scholarship; Community College/Cal Poly SLO; Agriculture Science

Michael Sanchez; Escondido; $1,500 JLA Scholarship; College TBD; Agriculture Science

Charlina Schmidt; Escondido; $1,500 JLA Scholarship; SDSU; Pre Business Administration, Real Estate

The Don Diego Scholarship Foundation was named for Don Diego, AKA Tom Hernandez, who served as San Diego County Fair’s welcoming goodwill ambassador from 1947-1984. Since its inception in 1986, the Foundation has awarded $1,510,344 in scholarships to 434 students and in Plant*Grow*Eat agriculture education grants, which enable elementary students from San Diego area Title 1 schools to learn about agriculture and nutrition while enjoying a day at the Fairgrounds.