CHC - Dr. Carla Thornton Memorial Scholarship, Social Worker

Dr. Carla Thornton was a 20-year veteran of the US Air Force and retired at the rank of Master Sergeant. After retiring, she went on to continue her education and ultimately earned her doctorate degree in Social Work from USC. Carla grew up in Moreno Valley, CA and after she retired from the Air Force, she became involved in her local city government and was the first Black woman elected as District 2 City Councilwoman for the City of Moreno Valley. Carla was brilliant, driven, selfless, and had an infectious smile – she personified what successful military transition means. She brought an incredible amount of enthusiasm, energy and real joy to her work and had so much more to contribute. Carla worked at Crafton Hills College from 2016 – 2018 and was instrumental in establishing the Veterans Resource Center and was still working as an adjunct professor at Crafton during her untimely death in 2021 at the age of 42. This scholarship was established in memory of Carla Thornton, a veteran of the US Air Force who worked a Crafton Hills College from 2016-2018 and was instrumental in establishing the Veterans Resource Center.
Criteria: awarded to a student with a minimum GPA of 3.0 who is transferring to a 4-year university in the fall and who is also pursuing a career in the field of social work or where they are in a position to help others.