Behind that opportunity is a community of supporters who believe that potential should never be limited by financial barriers. Among them are San Diego Promise donors Fred Colby and Becky and Steve Phillpott who understand the power of education to transform lives.
Colby says his life was changed by a San Diego Mesa College political science professor who sparked a love of learning. Colby, who had dropped out of two colleges before attending Mesa College, went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Clairemont McKenna College and pursue a career as head of the San Diego Arts Foundation.
When Colby looks at today’s students, he sees many who are facing costs and pressures that can make a college education feel out of reach. His support helps ensure that the next generation has access to the same life-changing opportunity he found at Mesa College more than five decades ago.
“I wanted to give students something that says ‘we care about you; we want to support you,’ ” Colby said. “It’s to make it easier for students so that they know one person cares about them and wants them to succeed.”
Time and again, Colby continues to deliver on his promise to support students, including a generous pledge for a $25,000 matching gift during the October Keeping the Promise giving day.
In addition to directly supporting the San Diego Promise, Colby also sponsors a scholarship fund at Mesa College named after Fred Horn, the professor who inspired him. He also funds a scholarship at the community college in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he now lives.
Colby stayed in touch with professors and mentors from the SDCCD after he graduated from Mesa College in 1970. Just shy of two decades later, in 1988, he was elected to the District’s Board of Trustees where he served two four-year terms.
Community college was free when Colby attended, and although it’s still reasonably priced, Colby said he supports the San Diego Promise because he knew students can be burdened with expenses while attending college.
“When you start in education, it can be pretty intense and it can be pretty demanding,” he said. “It can be overwhelming. The financial side of it can be a killer.”
Becky and Steve Phillpott of Scripps Ranch are also supporting the San Diego Promise because of their strong belief in the power of education.
Becky’s parents, both elementary school principals, always emphasized the importance of education.
“It was in my DNA,” she said. “Support for public education is a core value for my family.”
Both Becky and Steve took community college classes, and their three children all attended SDCCD colleges. After serving in the Navy, Steve was the chief information officer for Western Digital in San Jose for eight years in addition to working for several major technology and biotech companies. Becky is a longtime member of the SDCCD Trustee Advisory Council.
Becky said they want to help make sure community college is accessible to everyone.
“The Promise program gives the opportunity for students who do not have the economic means otherwise to go to college,” she said.
Steve said the dedicated counseling and tutoring offered through the Promise program is important for students.
“One of the values of the Promise program is the support network,” he said. “The support network helps to improve the success rates for students.”
Ten years after the launch of the San Diego Promise, thousands of students have earned degrees, transferred to universities, and begun careers they may never have imagined when they first stepped onto campus. Behind many of those journeys is a community of supporters who chose to invest in possibility.
Their gifts do more than cover educational expenses. They send a powerful message to students across San Diego County: someone believes in your future.
Growing support
In the 10 years since the San Diego Promise program was launched at the San Diego Community College District, generous donors have given almost $3.5 million to provide a free education for thousands of students at the District’s colleges.
The funds came from a variety of sources. A gala in 2018 honoring actress Annette Bening, a San Diego Mesa College alumna, raised more than $200,000 to fund tuition fees, textbook grants, and support for students. Born from that event was the Annette Bening Promise scholarship, which each year provides $500 to one Promise student each at San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges, as well as one from College of Continuing Education looking to transfer into the Promise program. The student must demonstrate academic excellence and a commitment to service.
Former SDCCD Chancellor Constance M. Carroll was a strong advocate of the Promise program, and an event celebrating her 2021 retirement, along with a $200,000 donation from the San Diego Foundation, bolstered program funding.
In addition to hosting major events, the SDCCD has put on a Keeping the Promise giving day in October since 2018. The annual giving day has celebrated students by bringing together hundreds of new and existing donors and has raised more than a total of $153,000. At times, individual donations were bolstered by matching gifts from community partners.
Vice Chancellor of Development and Entrepreneurship Laurie Coskey said SDCCD focuses its efforts on raising funds for students who are not covered by the statewide Promise that guarantees free tuition for first-time, full-time students. The additional students include part-time students, students with disabilities, formerly incarcerated students, or military and military dependents.
“The Promise is a program of opportunity for students, no matter their background, to have their tuitions and books paid so that they can have the opportunity to go to college,” Coskey said.
She said a major gala is being planned for October 2027 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Promise.
