Scholarship America Names Max Espinoza as Senior Vice President, Education Programs and Policy

MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, Minn., April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Scholarship America, the nation's leading nonprofit scholarship and educational support organization, is pleased to announce that Max Espinoza will join the organization as senior vice president, education programs and policy on May 28. In this role, Espinoza will play a key role as a member of Scholarship America's leadership team in advancing the organization's mission and act as Scholarship America's lead spokesperson on education issues. He will also provide strategy, development and operations oversight to the organization's flagship program, Dollars for Scholars, as well as Dreamkeepers, Collegiate Partners and the new Dream Award.

"As a former scholarship recipient and a first-generation college student, Max comes to Scholarship America with a passion for the organization's mission to make postsecondary success possible for all students," said Lauren A. Segal, president and CEO of Scholarship America. "Max's fourteen years of experience working in the education policy arena in California will bring a unique and important perspective to Scholarship America as we continue implementation of our strategic plan and goal to help 750,000 students complete their education beyond high school by 2025."

Prior to his appointment as Senior Vice President for Scholarship America, Espinoza spent more than a decade with the California State Legislature advising elected officials, including serving as policy director for Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass and most recently serving as chief advisor on higher education to Assembly Speaker John A. Perez.  Espinoza also previously served as a division chief at the California Student Aid Commission, where he managed more than $1 billion in financial aid programs, including the state's Cal Grant program, the largest state grant program in the nation.  Espinoza's many accomplishments include protecting and expanding access to the state's college grant programs and shepherding legislation mandating student consultation and sufficient public notification before California's public universities consider increases in student fee levels.

From 2004-2009, Espinoza served as the volunteer President of the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project (CLYLP).  A CLYLP alumnus, Espinoza led the organization through the implementation of its first strategic plan, growing the organization's volunteer capacity, increasing alumni involvement, and expanding CLYLP programming to multiple regions of the state, and positioning the CLYLP as a leader in the field of youth leadership development. 

"Coming from a working class, immigrant family, my college education would not have been possible without the help of scholarships, work study, as well as state and federal financial aid," said Espinoza. "I am committed to ensuring these same opportunities are available to all students, and I am excited to join Scholarship America in making the college dream a reality for students and their families across the nation."

Espinoza will spend three to six months at Scholarship America's headquarters in Minneapolis before relocating to Washington, D.C. where he will expand Scholarship America's presence in the national dialogue concerning postsecondary educational access and success.

About Scholarship America^®
Scholarship America mobilizes support for students getting into and graduating from college. Since 1958, Scholarship America has distributed $3 billion in scholarship assistance to 2 million students, funding both entry-level and multi-year scholarships and emergency financial grants. More information is available at scholarshipamerica.org or follow @scholamerica.

SOURCE Scholarship America