More than $25,000 Investment In STEM and CTE Students from Anil and Sonal Desai

Norwalk, California — Anil and Sonal Desai have been donating their time, talent, and treasure to Cerritos College Foundation over the past year. Recently, they completed their generous pledge of $25,000 to create the Anil and Sonal Desai Family Endowed Scholarship for STEM and CTE students. They couple is proud to support students studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. The Desais have a long tradition of investing in student futures, and have also contributed to the Annual Scholarship Fund, the Emergency Student Fund, and helped hand out over 600 meals at a Foundation Food Distribution event sponsored by Jay Bharat Catering. Sons Sumir and Viren also participated in the scholarship review process with their father.

Born in Baroda, Gujarat State, India, Anil Desai came to the United States in June of 1967. He was the number one student in his high school and had a strong desire for higher education and engineering. Those dreams would not have been possible without the support of his father and the entire village who funded his undergraduate education at the University of Baroda subsequent relocation to the United States to complete a graduate degree in civil engineering from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. Anil relocated to California and began a 42 year career with the Department of Water and Power. Shortly after he married and started a family, Anil began financially supporting students from India who also had a passion for higher education. “I know more than anyone that it takes an entire village to help a young person reach their potential,” Anil says. “And those I helped knew it as well. Once these students completed their studies, they returned his investment so he could recirculate it.”

His wife, Sonal Desai, is an active volunteer at the Cerritos College Foundation. She says, “We are in a position to support others because we’re dedicated to hard work and modest living.” Sonal had a seventeen year career with H&R Block while simultaneously working as a clerk for Los Angeles County. The couple generously supports many other organizations including the Shriji Mandir Temple and local high schools. They actively participate as Board Directors on the Artesia Chamber of Commerce in order to further the success of local businesses.

Anil and Sonal became a part of the Cerritos College Foundation because they heard many stories of its work from people dear to them like generous donors Bhupesh and Kumud Parikh, Parimal and Kalpana Shah, and Navneet Chugh. “As a member of the Foundation’s Campaign Leadership Committee (CLC), I invite others to join Sonal and our family in financially supporting Cerritos College students.”

To learn more about the Cerritos College Foundation, contact Chief Development Officer, Monica Lee Copeland at [email protected]. Consider creating your own fund to support scholarships, college programs, or student basic needs or making a gift to the Anil and Sonal Desai Family Endowed Scholarship for STEM and CTE Students. Visit http://c63.e8a.myftpupload.com/fund-scholarships/ and select Anil and Sonal Desai in the distribution drop down menu.

About Cerritos College Foundation: The Cerritos College Foundation, a non-profit organization, serves as a charitable vehicle for the community, individuals, and alumni, to assist with the financial support of Cerritos College beyond that which state funding supports. Visit the Foundation online at www.CerritosCF.org.

About Cerritos College: Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs, and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently averages 23,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu/.

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