Emilio Davila ’27 always wanted to be a doctor. His mother, a speech-language pathologist and University of the Pacific alumna, inspired his interest in a health career. 

Supported by scholarships, Davila is now following in his mom’s footsteps while forging his own path as an aspiring physician.

“Scholarships help my family and validate my efforts,” he said. “That validation fuels me to work hard and is the reason I take every opportunity that comes my way.”

Davila shared his story March 5 at Pacific’s Scholarship Appreciation Luncheon, an annual event allowing students who receive endowed scholarships to meet and personally thank their donors. This year’s luncheon attracted nearly 250 guests, including students and donors from all nine Pacific schools and colleges. 

Davila is one of many students who benefit from donor-funded scholarships. Nearly 1,400 received a scholarship during the 2025-26 academic year. 

He dreams of becoming an oncologist, a passion that solidified after several family members battled cancer.
“That’s my primary motivation to become a physician,” he said. “I want to serve patients and families going through exactly what my family faced.”

At Pacific he is president of the Latino Pre-Health Association, a group he founded to create community among Latinx students in health-related majors. The group reflects his other motivation for earning a medical degree.

“I am a strong advocate for Hispanic individuals pursuing health careers,” he said. “When people in our communities need doctors, they want doctors they can trust—those who look like them, speak their language and understand their culture and lived experiences.” 

He is among more than 90% of Pacific students who receive some form of financial aid. Last year, the university awarded $16 million in donor-funded scholarships, a 26% increase in funding from the year before.
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Scott Biedermann ’05, ’20 emphasized that donor support is essential to student access and success at Pacific.

“Donor support can be the difference for a student between just getting by or thriving,” Biedermann said. “Scholarships provide much-needed financial relief for our students, while encouraging them to overcome obstacles and believe more fully in their own potential.”

Like Davila, Makyla DaPonte ’28 came to Pacific with dreams of helping others. A second-year student at McGeorge School of Law, DaPonte recalls several seasons when her family needed legal representation but was unable to access it. 

At the luncheon, she shared how these experiences sparked a fervent desire to help others fare better.
“I originally wanted to enter family law, to help even just one family navigate complicated circumstances in a more positive way than I did,” she said.

“I later confronted the world of disability, for myself and as an advocate for my brother, and I became an agent of change for others navigating life with a disability.”

At McGeorge, DaPonte’s passion for disability rights expanded into a broader appreciation for advocacy work. She is already fueling that passion through a full-time legal position in Stanislaus County, the direct result of a McGeorge internship.
She gives Pacific and her scholarships full credit for changing her life.

“I knew from the first time I visited McGeorge that this was where I was supposed to be—the school that would give me the opportunities I needed to be a strong legal advocate for my community,” she said. “McGeorge was the only law school I applied to, and the scholarship offers gave me the courage and confidence to truly take a chance on myself and pursue my dreams.”

Along with DaPonte and Davila, the Scholarship Appreciation Luncheon included a vocal performance by Rose Krueger ’27, a music management major, and a string quartet featuring additional scholarship recipients from the Conservatory of Music.

“For 175 years, scholarships at Pacific have opened doors to amazing opportunities,” Biedermann told the audience. “This luncheon celebrates that legacy of generosity and the difference you make when you give. Thank you for supporting our students.”

To learn about supporting scholarships, contact Scott Biedermann ’05, ’20, vice president for development and alumni relations, at 209.932.2166 or sbiedermann@pacific.edu.