Jeremy Pleitez ’29 and his family always dreamed he would go to college, but didn’t know how they would afford it—until their community stepped in.

Pleitez joined Stockton Scholars, a program offering financial assistance, mentorship and professional development opportunities for graduates of the city’s public high schools. Operated by the Reinvent Stockton Foundation since 2019, Stockton Scholars has benefitted more than 4,000 local youth, including hundreds of University of the Pacific students.

Pleitez recently finished his first year at Pacific as a computer science major. He will be the first in his family to earn a college degree. 

“Being able to attend college because of Stockton Scholars and other aid from Pacific means the world to my parents and me,” he said. “I get to pursue my dreams while they get to see me succeed, learn new things and be the scholar they always dreamed I could be.” 

More than 200 Stockton Scholars attended Pacific during the 2025-26 academic year. The program began as a passion project of former mayor Michael Tubbs, who sought to dramatically increase the number of Stockton students entering and graduating from college. 

To be eligible for scholarships, students must graduate from any Stockton public high school with at least a 2.0 GPA. They receive $4,000 for four years of college or university attendance, or $1,000 for two years of community college or trade school. 

At Pacific, scholars participate in university-sponsored community-building activities, while the Stockton Scholars organization provides mentorship and opportunities to learn about financial literacy, time management, successful study habits and more.

“One of our key beliefs is that supporting students takes more than scholarships,” explains Omar Ornelas, Stockton Scholars’ vice president of programs. “From the beginning we’ve been a whole-person support organization, providing leadership training, professional development, and many other opportunities that support students’ ability to succeed.”

Associate Director Michelle DiGuilio adds that an important component of the program is encouraging students to pay it forward—to bring their knowledge and skills back to Stockton, or to invest in others where they are. 

“Pacific is right in these students’ backyards. Some of our high school programming takes place on campus, and it allows students both to see themselves as scholars and to experience Pacific,” DiGuilio said. “Pacific and Stockton Scholars share the same mission of serving the community and helping students envision greater possibilities for their lives.”

Stockton Scholars maintains a close partnership with Pacific’s Community Involvement Program (CIP), which supports low-income, first-generation students from Stockton with leadership potential. A majority of CIP Scholars also are Stockton Scholars. 

Associate Vice President for Enrollment Strategy Allison Dumas ’95 points to the programs’ shared commitment to empowering students through access, opportunity and a life-changing community of support.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Stockton Scholars, as this collaboration plays an important role in helping students build connection, find community and feel a sense of belonging early in their college experience,” Dumas said. “This synergy allows scholars to feel more confident navigating campus life and fully engaging in the opportunities around them.”

Cindy Foster, a Pacific Regent and member of the Reinvent Stockton Foundation Board of Directors, is among the program’s biggest champions. She and her husband Scott Foster are philanthropic supporters of both CIP and Stockton Scholars. 

“The program is phenomenal. I’m so happy to be part of it,” Foster said. “To see thousands of students graduating from so many different universities who never thought they were going to college—it's amazing. Provided the opportunity, these students can do anything.”

Foster is a first-generation college graduate and retired nurse who has called Stockton home for more than 50 years. She praises Stockton Scholars’ impact on both Pacific and its students.

“Despite the widespread enrollment challenges facing universities right now, Pacific’s enrollment continues to rise, and that’s partly because of Stockton Scholars—the number of students has increased every year. That’s dramatically important for this campus,” she said.

Indeed, program participation is growing and retention is strong. From fall 2024 to fall 2025, Pacific’s Stockton Scholars population increased nearly 13%. First-to-second year retention for Stockton Scholars exceeded retention of all other first-year students by nearly 10%.

“The future for all of us will be a lot brighter because of these students, and it’s upon us to help them any way that we can,” Foster said. “We want to leave this world better than we found it, and supporting Stockton Scholars is definitely a way to do that.”

To learn more about supporting Pacific students through scholarships, contact Scott Biedermann, vice president for development and alumni relations, at 209.946.2166 or sbiedermann@pacific.edu.