BY A STAFF REPORTER
CERRITOS, CA-Donors Bhupesh and Kumud Parikh established the Kumud Parikh Family Endowed Scholarship at Cerritos College on June 27 in the amount of $125,000 for Cerritos College students. The Parikhs also pledged to raise $25,000 for additional scholarships,
CERRITOS, CA-Donors Bhupesh and Kumud Parikh established the Kumud Parikh Family Endowed Scholarship at Cerritos College on June 27 in the amount of $125,000 for Cerritos College students. The Parikhs also pledged to raise $25,000 for additional scholarships,
totaling $150,000 toward student success.
The Parikh family has a long history of philanthropy in higher education, community colleges and four-year institutions in the US. The Parikhs have a strong connection to Cerritos College through their community and business partnerships in the City of Artesia. Cerritos has a thriving Indian community in Southern California.
“The Board of Trustees has bestowed the naming of The Bhupesh K. Parikh Student Hall in our Student Center Building to recognize the Parikhs for their contribution,” said Dr. Jose Fierro, President and Superintendent of Cerritos College. “We are grateful to introductions by Parimal Shah, Co-Chair of the Foundation Campaign Leadership Committee and Anand Rao, Director of the Leprosy Foundation for connecting us to them.After having the opportunity to spend some time with the Parikhs, I am humbled by their generosity and their love for the United States of America and the opportunities this country has afforded them,” “Their generous gift is a testament of their commitment to open the doors for higher education to everyone in our community,” he added
“It just feels right to support Cerritos College and its students. The campus is beautiful and open to the community. Most importantly, it provides a high quality education for students, many of whom are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds,” said Parikh. “If we give to the small community colleges where we live and work, and where we make money, that is beneficial. It is our way of saying thank you to America,” he added.
“The Cerritos College Foundation is honored to accept the generous endowment from the Parikh family,” said Clara Potes-Fellow, the Foundation’s Interim Executive Director. “Their gift makes it possible for Cerritos College students to receive scholarships for years to come, and adds to the Foundation’s Finish Great campaign to raise a scholarship endowment of $8 million.”
Monica Lee Copeland, Chief Development Officer of Cerritos College Foundation, shared “I have had the pleasure of meeting many donors, and the Parikhs are true philanthropists.”
The Bhupesh Parikh Health Science Building and the Kumud Parikh Nursing College were the result of gifts to Glendale College where Kumud took accounting classes. The couple also supports Utah State University where Bhupesh earned his undergraduate engineering degree, and the Sandpiper Organization in the South Bay as well as organizations in India, including the Eye Hospital in Dwarka, a lo cal Shreeji Temple, and several grammar schools.
The Kumud Parikh Family Endowed Scholarship is currently receiving gifts from friends and family. Interested donors can contact Monica Lee Copeland, Development Officer at [email protected] to contribute. “We have many ways for the community to make an investment in our students as the Parikhs have done. We invite interested parties to take a tour of the campus and explore the possibilities.”
The Foundation will recognize selected donors on a `Thank You to America’ plaque located within the Bhupesh K. Parikh Student Hall.
A ceremony is being planned during September to commemorate the naming. Students will be able to apply for a Kumud Parikh Family Endowed Scholarship award next year.
Bhupesh immigrated to the United States in 1960 from Kadi, India. He earned his M.S. in structural engineering from the University of Southern California in 1964 and began a successful commercial real estate development practice, Pari Enterprises in Glendale, California. He is a founding trustee of Shreeji Temple located in Southern California and two local banks. The Jain Center of Southern California recognized Bhupesh for his outstanding contribution in the construction of the Jain Bhavan in 1988. Subsequently, Kumud is a well-known Gujarati literary author who has published three short-story collections.
The Parikh family has a long history of philanthropy in higher education, community colleges and four-year institutions in the US. The Parikhs have a strong connection to Cerritos College through their community and business partnerships in the City of Artesia. Cerritos has a thriving Indian community in Southern California.
“The Board of Trustees has bestowed the naming of The Bhupesh K. Parikh Student Hall in our Student Center Building to recognize the Parikhs for their contribution,” said Dr. Jose Fierro, President and Superintendent of Cerritos College. “We are grateful to introductions by Parimal Shah, Co-Chair of the Foundation Campaign Leadership Committee and Anand Rao, Director of the Leprosy Foundation for connecting us to them.After having the opportunity to spend some time with the Parikhs, I am humbled by their generosity and their love for the United States of America and the opportunities this country has afforded them,” “Their generous gift is a testament of their commitment to open the doors for higher education to everyone in our community,” he added
“It just feels right to support Cerritos College and its students. The campus is beautiful and open to the community. Most importantly, it provides a high quality education for students, many of whom are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds,” said Parikh. “If we give to the small community colleges where we live and work, and where we make money, that is beneficial. It is our way of saying thank you to America,” he added.
“The Cerritos College Foundation is honored to accept the generous endowment from the Parikh family,” said Clara Potes-Fellow, the Foundation’s Interim Executive Director. “Their gift makes it possible for Cerritos College students to receive scholarships for years to come, and adds to the Foundation’s Finish Great campaign to raise a scholarship endowment of $8 million.”
Monica Lee Copeland, Chief Development Officer of Cerritos College Foundation, shared “I have had the pleasure of meeting many donors, and the Parikhs are true philanthropists.”
The Bhupesh Parikh Health Science Building and the Kumud Parikh Nursing College were the result of gifts to Glendale College where Kumud took accounting classes. The couple also supports Utah State University where Bhupesh earned his undergraduate engineering degree, and the Sandpiper Organization in the South Bay as well as organizations in India, including the Eye Hospital in Dwarka, a lo cal Shreeji Temple, and several grammar schools.
The Kumud Parikh Family Endowed Scholarship is currently receiving gifts from friends and family. Interested donors can contact Monica Lee Copeland, Development Officer at [email protected] to contribute. “We have many ways for the community to make an investment in our students as the Parikhs have done. We invite interested parties to take a tour of the campus and explore the possibilities.”
The Foundation will recognize selected donors on a `Thank You to America’ plaque located within the Bhupesh K. Parikh Student Hall.
A ceremony is being planned during September to commemorate the naming. Students will be able to apply for a Kumud Parikh Family Endowed Scholarship award next year.
Bhupesh immigrated to the United States in 1960 from Kadi, India. He earned his M.S. in structural engineering from the University of Southern California in 1964 and began a successful commercial real estate development practice, Pari Enterprises in Glendale, California. He is a founding trustee of Shreeji Temple located in Southern California and two local banks. The Jain Center of Southern California recognized Bhupesh for his outstanding contribution in the construction of the Jain Bhavan in 1988. Subsequently, Kumud is a well-known Gujarati literary author who has published three short-story collections.
RSS Feed
