Client Testimonies

Jeneane Wagner, 2011 Single Parent Scholarship Recipient
“I am grateful to have been chosen for the 2011 Single Parent Scholarship. I realize there are many single parents trying to achieve a college degree and finances can be a big obstacle. I feel extremely lucky to have been given this scholarship which will be helpful in reducing the cost of my college tuition. A degree from Mills College will open many doors and increase career opportunities so I can provide a better future for my son and I. Having organizations such as Capture the Dream make it possible for many single parents in college. Thank you for your support, generous gift and for choosing me for this scholarship.”

Vi Tran, 2011 Minorities in Leadership Recipient
“I am honored to be the recipient of the Capture the Dream: George Geng On Lee Scholarship. Thanks to their generous support I have lessened the burden for my hard-working, single mother. As a first year student at UC Berkeley studying Integrative Biology and Business Administration, I gratefully accept the honor as a means to hopefully advance my dreams of becoming a pediatrician. Because of Capture the Dream’s generosity, I am constantly motivated to work to the best of my abilities, serve others through my leadership skills, and grow within new communities. Thank you, Capture the Dream: George Geng On Lee Scholarship for encouraging me to do the best I can.”

Isis Castaneda, 2010 Single Parent Scholarship Recipient
My name is Isis Castaneda and I am an immigrant from El Salvador. I moved to the United States in 1978 as a young child with my parents, escaping from the Civil War. I returned to El Salvador in 1993 to explore my culture and to reconnect with my family. My daughter was born in El Salvador as a US citizen born abroad. In order to provide a better life for her and with the opportunities that are available in the United States, I returned as a single parent with a nine-month-old baby to Santa Barbara, California.

My career for the last thirteen years is primarily working with teenagers. I am committed to supporting, teaching, and guiding teens through the challenges they face. I have worked for the SB truancy program, as Ropes course facilitator, a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coordinator and I am currently the Program Director for The Academy of Healing Arts for Teens. For sixteen years I have devoted my life to my daughter’s success so that her educational and career dreams come true. All thru these years I have been plugging away at completing my BA in Liberal Studies and currently I am in my last year at Antioch University of Santa Barbra.

I want to thank Capture the Dream, Inc Scholarship Committee for selecting me to be the 2010 Single Parent Award Recipient. I am very appreciative of the support that you are giving me. That morning I was praying for financial support so that I could buy my books for the new quarter and help pay for the tuition. My prayer was answered that night with your phone call. Thank you.

Safira, 2007 Adopt a Family Recipient
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the help during the Holidays of 07. I didn’t know what I was going to do to make my kids Christmas wishes come true. When I signed up for the Capture the Dream Program, I didn’t know that I was going to get everything I had asked for plus more. I only thought I was going to get one need and one want. I didn’t expect to be sleeping in my own bed instead of us sharing a twin mattress.

I came out here with nothing and I ended up with a lot. It really made me feel better about things that I had going on in my life. Being a single parent is hard especially when you are somewhere where you have no family or friends. I was so happy to see my kids smiling when they saw all the things that they had got for Christmas.

I ended the year happy and it helped me to start the New Year out happy knowing that good things come to people who be patient and that never give up when things get really bad. Capture the Dream is what you did for me and my family. Thank you and please continue the foundation to help families in need.

Adelina Aramburo, Principal Cesar Chavez Elementary, 2009 DreamPack Recipient
“Thank you for the generous donation of backpacks in 2009. Our students, parents, and staff were extremely thankful. We hope to be a recipient again this year. Purchasing backpacks and school materials adds to the tremendous financial challenges faced by Cesar Chavez Families. Many parents work 2-3 jobs and have a hard time meeting all of their financial obligations. San Francisco is an extremely expensive city and any way that we can relieve some of that burden is tremendously helpful. Providing students with study materials assures them that they are ready to learn and also strengthens the relationship between the school and parents”