Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Volunteer Services Awards $27,000 in Scholarships

Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital (SYVCH) Volunteer Services has awarded nine $3,000 scholarships to local students who reside or work in the Santa Ynez Valley and plan to pursue college studies in health-related careers. 

The scholarship awards totaling $27,000 are made possible through proceeds from the New to You Thrift Store in Solvang. New to You Thrift store is staffed entirely by Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital volunteers who generously donate more than 16,000 hours of their time and talents each year to support the hospital.

Scholarship recipients were selected by SYVCH Scholarship Committee members Jacky Green, Martha Nedegaard, Brenda Loskamp and Susan Snekvik. 

2022 Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Volunteer Services Scholarship Recipients: 

Murphy Brewer 

Murphy Brewer is a graduate of Santa Ynez High School and is studying biology at the University of San Diego. She plans to obtain a paramedic license and continue studies in medical school. 

Victoria Gutierrez 

Victoria Gutierrez is in the nursing program at Santa Barbara City College. She is also earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing through Grand Canyon University. 

Brigitt Hernandez 

Brigitt Hernandez is a graduate of Dunn School in Los Olivos. She’s attending California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, with plans to major in biology, and then go to medical school. 

Daniel Kozlov 

Daniel Kozlov is a graduate of Santa Ynez High School. He is attending UCLA with plans to major in neuroscience to become a neurosurgeon.

Jessica Perez 

Jessica Perez is an emergency department technician at Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital. She is currently in the radiology technician program at Santa Barbara City College.

Gabriel Prendergast 

Gabriel Prendergast is a graduate of Santa Ynez Valley High School and is attending the University of San Diego to pursue a master’s degree in nursing.

Arisa Waters 

Arisa Waters is from Los Olivos and is a psychology student at UCLA with plans to enter the field of clinical psychology. She is also a certified emergency medical technician.

Aidan Waters 

Aidan Waters is a graduate of Dunn School and is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He plans to major in kinesiology to pursue a career in sports medicine. 

Leslie Salinas 

Leslie Salinas is a graduate of Santa Ynez High School and is attending Alan Hancock College. She is pursuing a career in nursing.  

About Cottage Health cottagehealth.org

The not-for-profit Cottage Health is the leader in providing advanced medical care to the Central Coast region. Specialties include the Cottage Children’s Medical Center, Level 1 Trauma Center, Neuroscience Institute, Heart & Vascular Center, Center for Orthopedics, and Rehabilitation Hospital. The Cottage Health medical staff is comprised of more than 700 physicians, many with subspecialties typically found only at university medical centers. Last year, the Cottage Health hospitals in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley provided inpatient care for 21,000 people, treated 80,000 patients through their 24-hour emergency departments and helped deliver 2,100 newborns. Cottage Health also offers Cottage Urgent Care Centers throughout the tri-counties, as well as 24-hour access to providers via Cottage Virtual Care, an online service for common conditions.