NEWS RELEASE, 12/22/97

Juan Velasquez Of Calexico wins Chevron Scholarship at UC Berkeley

BERKELEY--The University of California at Berkeley announced today that Juan Jose Velasquez, a 1997 graduate of Calexico High School, has been awarded a $6,000 Chevron Scholarship, one of six such

prestigious undergraduate scholarships to be awarded this year. The Chevron Scholarships are need-based and awarded to academically eligible students residing in California.

Velasquez, who intends to major in mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley, won awards in math and chemistry in high school and was active in the California Scholarship Federation, earning a 4.11 grade-point average.

His achievements earned him co-valedictorian status of his graduating class. As an Upward Bound tutor, Velasquez helped others, like him, who were immigrants from Mexico or came from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.

The scholarships were established at UC Berkeley as part of Chevron Corporation's $2.5-million commitment to the university's capital campaign.

Included in this grant is $235,000 to the Berkeley Pledge. The Pledge is the university's commitment to: strengthen partnerships with California's K-12 schools; keep Berkeley affordable; foster success for each of its students; and inspire its graduates to pursue graduate studies and professional careers.

Chevron will support 18 one-year Chevron Scholars over the next three years in chemistry, engineering, math, and the physical sciences.

UC Berkeley is seeking to help students and faculty by raising $1.1 billion by the year 2001 in its capital campaign, "The Promise of Berkeley-Campaign for the New Century."