Meet the 2026 Friends CHS Scholarship Recipients
Congratulations!
Each year, the Friends of the Coronado Public Library recognize outstanding local students for their academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, and commitment to lifelong learning. On June 1, the Friends celebrated and honored at Awards Night on June 1 at 6 p.m. in the John D. Spreckels Reading Room at the Coronado Public Library.
​
Scholarships were presented by Friends President Carl Luna and Vice President and Scholarship Committee Chair Sharon Hall. Also attending the ceremony were Friends Board Member Cassie Morton and Becky Seaman Geiss, whose family’s longstanding support through the Wilf & Ruth Seaman Scholarship helps make these awards possible.
​
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our generous scholarship donors — the Wilf & Ruth Seaman family, the Susan Stark Trust, and Jim & Bette Sherman — whose continued support helps empower Coronado students as they pursue their educational goals and future aspirations.
As we celebrate the accomplishments of our 2025 scholarship recipients one year later, we are also proud to introduce the remarkable students who make up the Class of 2026 scholarship recipients. These scholars represent a wide range of interests and ambitions — from engineering and environmental science to animation, architecture, and the arts — and each carries forward the spirit of curiosity and community that defines Coronado.
The Wilf & Ruth Seaman Scholarship - $2,000
Wilf Seaman was the principal of Coronado High School during the 1950s and 1960s. He was a founder and Past President of the Friends of the Coronado Public Library (Friends), and a much-beloved volunteer for many years. Ruth Seaman was a kindergarten teacher with the Coronado School District, directed a preschool, and was a Friends of the Coronado Public Library volunteer for many years. This $2,000 scholarship will be awarded by the Friends to a Coronado High School senior.
Recipient: Mia Coronado
Attending: Washington University in St. Louis
“I loved getting to know my community through the Coronado Library by volunteering, and I am so grateful to have received this award!”
Recipient: Emma Lund
​Rotary Exchange Program — Taichung, Taiwan. Emma will spend the coming year studying abroad in Taiwan before applying to four-year universities.
​
“I am honored to have received this scholarship, and I am so grateful for the library and its programs. Thank you for placing your trust and support in my future.”
The Susan Stark Scholarship - $2,000
Susan Stark was a volunteer at the Second Hand Prose bookstore, run by the Friends of the Coronado Public Library (Friends), from 2008 until her death in September 2015. A Coronado High School graduate, Susan was devoted to her family, was an avid reader, and a world traveler. This $2,000 scholarship will be awarded by the Friends to a Coronado High School senior.
Recipient: Daniel Vinegrad
Attending: Stanford University — Sustainable Architecture and Engineering
​
“Receiving this award means a great deal to me. The Coronado Public Library has been an important part of my academic and personal growth since I was in preschool, and I am honored to be recognized by an organization that supports learning, curiosity, and community engagement.”
The Jim and Bette Sherman General Curriculum Scholarship - $2,000
Bette and Jim Sherman are longtime residents of Coronado. Bette, an artist, brought her love of art to local children by funding art lessons for them at the Library (the Second Saturday Art classes). A Jim and Bette Sherman Scholarship will be awarded in the amount of $2,000 to a Coronado High School senior.
Recipient: Dhara Jost
Attending: UCLA — Environmental Science
​​
“I’m very honored to receive this award and thankful for everything the library has given me.”
Recipient: Sean Wilbur
Attending: Cal Poly Pomona — Mechanical Engineering and Political Science
“I am incredibly grateful to the Coronado Library for supporting me in my high school chapter and helping to boost me into a successful next chapter.”
The Jim and Bette Sherman COSA/Fine Arts Scholarship - $2,000
Jim and Bette Sherman are longtime residents of Coronado. Bette, an artist, brought her love of art to local children by funding art lessons for them at the Library (the Second Saturday Art classes). A Jim and Bette Sherman Fine Arts Scholarship will be awarded in the amount of $2,000 to a Coronado High School senior with a passion for the fine arts who is a student in COSA. For purposes of this scholarship, the term “fine arts” shall mean items of visual beauty and shall specifically exclude film, video, and digital media.
Recipient: Annika Haslam
Attending: City of Dublin FET College Ballyfermot, Ireland — Animation
“I feel so lucky to have been chosen for the Arts scholarship from the library. It encourages me to keep going with my dreams of being an animator and artist.”
Recipient: Anika Talavera
Attending: University of Southern California
“I am so honored to be recognized as an artist for my work behind the scenes. Thank you so much for supporting me.”
Recipient: Roxanne Langevin
Attending: University of Southern California
“I am grateful for everything that the Coronado Public Library has done for our community, and I greatly appreciate their contribution to my educational journey.”
Recipient: Lena Masutani​
​
Attending: Accepted to both Otis College of Art and Design and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; currently deciding between the two schools.
​
“I am grateful to be recognized through this scholarship and excited to continue growing as both an artist and a student.”
The Friends scholarship program continues to grow thanks to the generosity of our community and the vision of donors who believe in supporting Coronado students. This year, a legacy-building donation from the Susan Stark Trust allowed the Friends to add an additional Susan Stark Scholarship for the 2026 school year, with plans to continue exploring ways to expand opportunities for future students.
In addition, longtime supporters Jim and Bette Sherman increased their support to six scholarships this year after being inspired by the exceptional strength of the 2026 applicant pool.
Congratulations to all of our 2026 scholarship recipients. We are proud to support your next steps and look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the years ahead.
2025 Recipients - One Year Later
At Cal Poly Humboldt, Luciano Mancilla has traded palm trees for towering redwoods as he pursues a degree in zoology. Surrounded by the forests and coastline of Northern California, Luciano spent his first year immersed in the natural world that inspired his academic path in the first place.
The Friends scholarship helped support his transition to college life and opened doors to hands-on opportunities, including work at the university’s Vertebrate Museum. That experience soon created what Luciano described as a “domino effect,” eventually leading to a summer position at the San Diego Zoo.
For Luciano, the first year of college confirmed something important: he is exactly where he is meant to be.
At USC, Sofia Zamora’s first year became a deep dive into healthcare, leadership, and advocacy. While balancing coursework, Sofia immersed herself in organizations including Latino Students in Medicine, Heart Club, Pre-PA Club, and Southern California Healthcare Outreach. Her involvement quickly evolved into leadership positions on the executive boards of both Heart Club and Pre-PA Club.
Beyond campus, Sofia volunteered at LA General Medical Center while also discovering a passion for healthcare policy advocacy. Through Southern California Healthcare Outreach, she met with congressional representatives to advocate for increased funding for the Global Fund — an experience that broadened her understanding of how healthcare impacts communities far beyond hospital walls.
She credits the Friends scholarship with helping relieve financial pressure during her first year, giving her the ability to fully invest herself in academics, leadership, and service opportunities.
For 2025 scholarship recipient Jaya Jost, the connection to the Coronado Public Library stretches back much further than high school. Some of her strongest childhood memories revolve around the library’s Summer Reading Program — checking out stacks of books, eagerly returning each week, and spinning the prize wheel in hopes of taking home one of the famous craft kits.
Now a student at UCLA studying chemical and biomolecular engineering, Jaya is pursuing interests in pharmaceutical research and biotechnology with ambitions that continue to grow. Looking ahead, she hopes to work in biotech, possibly earn an MBA, and eventually launch her own company focused on advancing treatments for resistant diseases.
Meanwhile, Bruno Dominguez completed his first year in the Musical Theatre BFA program at Cal State Fullerton, where long rehearsal hours and intensive training have already helped him grow as a performer.
“The scholarship really helped me feel financially stable enough to live comfortably while pursuing my academic goals,” Bruno shared. “I was able to get an apartment close to campus and focus on school and training.”
For the Friends of the Coronado Public Library, these stories represent exactly what the scholarship program was designed to do: support students not only financially, but personally and professionally as they begin building their futures.
2025 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Congratulations!
In 2025, the Friends of the Coronado Public Library awarded five $2,000 scholarships to Coronado High School seniors during the Scholarship Awards Ceremony held on Monday, June 9, 2025.
2025 Scholarship recipients included Luciano Mancilla, Mila Waydo, Sofia Zamora, Jaya Jost, and Bruno Dominguez-Martinez.
-
Luciano Mancilla – The Jim and Bette Sherman Fine Arts Scholarship – $2,000
-
Mila Waydo – The Susan Stark Scholarship – $2,000
-
Sofia Zamora – The Wilf & Ruth Seaman Scholarship – $2,000
-
Jaya Jost – The Jim & Bette Sherman Curriculum Scholarship – $2,000
-
Bruno Dominguez-Martinez – The Jim and Bette Sherman COSA Scholarship – $2,000
“These scholarships reflect the bright future ahead for each recipient. We are thrilled to support their continued educational journey and celebrate their accomplishments,” said Carl Luna, President of the Friends of the Coronado Public Library.
A special thank-you to Bette Sherman, whose continued generosity funded three scholarships in 2025, recognizing students in fine arts, COSA (Coronado School of the Arts), and general curriculum. Her commitment to supporting youth education remains an inspiration and has meaningfully expanded the impact of the 2025 year’s scholarship program.
The recipients were honored on Monday, June 9, 2025, in the Winn Room at the Coronado Public Library. Family, friends, and members of the community gathered to celebrate these deserving students.
2024 HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Left to right: Emi Hitson; (Jim and Bette Sherman Fine Arts Scholarship: Fine Arts); Juniper Clark (Jim and Bette Sherman Fine Arts Scholarship: COSA); Olivia Chavez (Susan Stark scholarship); and, Gabriel Langevin (Wilf & Ruth Seaman Scholarship). All scholarship awardees are Coronado High School graduating seniors.
