Born and raised in Orange, Steve Ambriz served on the Orange City Council before his life was tragically cut short at age 35 in a collision caused by a drug-impaired driver in 2006. His legacy lives on through his daughter, Kaitlyn Ambriz Holl, who graduated from Chapman University in May and is pursuing a teaching career \u2014 made possible in part by a scholarship promise Chapman made to her when she was just 3 years old.<\/p>\n
Ambriz\u2019s wife, Bridget \u201997 (MBA \u201900), is a Chapman alum, and Steve supported the university for its investment in the local community. Months before his passing, he wrote to then-President Jim Doti praising Chapman for inspiring students to dream big. In return for Ambriz\u2019s service to Orange, Doti wanted to ease the burden on the grieving family. He partnered with Chapman Trustee Doy Henley, who has supported the scholarship ever since.<\/p>\n
Growing up in Orange, Kaitlyn was familiar with Chapman and knew early on that she wanted to be a teacher. When she discovered Chapman\u2019s five-year program to earn both a bachelor\u2019s and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction, her decision was easy. \u201cAt my kindergarten career day, I told my class I wanted to be a teacher,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve always known it was the plan for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
While studying at the Attallah College of Educational Studies, Kaitlyn stayed in close contact with Doti and Henley, who presented her degree in May. \u201cShe exudes a positive spirit that\u2019s infectious,\u201d said Doti. Henley agreed: \u201cShe\u2019s going to really make a mark with her life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like her father, Kaitlyn is driven to make a difference. She completed over 1,000 volunteer hours in high school, works in after-school
\nprograms, and plans to inspire the next generation as a teacher.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad was the first in his family to go to college. His teachers believed in him, and that changed his life,\u201d Kaitlyn said. \u201cThis scholarship is the most generous gift I\u2019ve ever received, and I\u2019m committed to paying it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Born and raised in Orange, Steve Ambriz served on the Orange City Council before his life was tragically cut short […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1457,"featured_media":2463,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[153,118],"tags":[18,521,522],"class_list":["post-2462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-neighbor-to-neighbor","tag-attallah-college-of-educational-studies","tag-kaitlyn-ambriz","tag-steve-ambriz"],"yoast_head":"\n