In honor of the late Dave R. Brown, who passed away due to an accidental fall in January 2013, his wife, Roni Brown, established an endowment scholarship at Santa Rosa Junior College in his name. Roni, inspired by Dave’s love of golf, designated that the scholarship be awarded to a student who not only maintains good grades but also is a member of the golf team. The first recipient of the David R. Brown Scholarship, Nicholas Daniels, was selected by Golf Coach Dave Herrington.
On August 14, 2013, Roni met Nicholas and described the encounter as nothing short of “heart warming.”
“To lose someone you love at such a young age [53] is devastating and, for me, redirecting my grief toward something positive and constructive was a clear and easy choice. Dave would be honored to know his memory lives on by this gesture and supports something he loved passionately—golf,” says Brown.
The Browns are no strangers to Santa Rosa Junior College, having both received Doyle Scholarships after graduating from Montgomery High School. Dave attended Santa Rosa Junior College and graduated in 1979 with high honors and an associate in arts degree. In addition, both Roni and Dave worked at Exchange Bank for decades, where their efforts helped fund the Doyle Scholarships. As marketing director, Roni worked closely with the scholarship office at Santa Rosa Junior College and knew exactly who to contact to make the scholarship a reality. “Scholarship Manager Rachael Cutcher was very receptive to the idea,” she says. After the initial meeting with Rachael, Brown contacted Kate McClintock, executive director of the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation, to schedule a meeting and set up the scholarship. As luck would have it, the scholarship was funded in time to be distributed for the 2013-2014 school year.
Giving back to their community has been a priority for the Browns. “Santa Rosa Junior College is a gem, and our community is fortunate to have such a wonderful institution in our backyard,” says Roni. Through the efforts and support of individual donors, community leaders and businesses, Santa Rosa Junior College has earned a prestigious place among community colleges. This year alone, 1,320 scholarships will be awarded, totaling $1.6 million. More than 950 scholarships will be provided from the Foundation’s Scholarship Endowment and more than 370 scholarships are anticipated to be provided by business and community organizations.
