Andres Alcala Scholarship Fund
Andres Alcala Junior
Andres Alcala, “Junior,” was killed on May 25th, 2008 in front of his own home in a mistaken identity killing. Like so many of our young people today, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Junior spent eight years of his life dedicating himself to his job at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In his job and in the community he was the type of person who gave freely without expectation of reciprocation. From going out of his way to help patrons of the aquarium to being a role model to the neighbor children, Junior’s life was a life of giving to others.
Andres Alcala Scholarship Fund
The day after Junior’s tragic death, his family, still reeling from their loss, decided that they did not want him to be remembered based on the “news” of his passing but for the life that he lived.
The Scholarship Fund is a way to continue Junior’s legacy of an exemplary example for young people in our community. The Scholarship assists young people in Monterey County with expenses associated with programs to further their education and their opportunities for success. Recent scholarship awards include partial tuition for 5th grade science camp and a partial enrollment fee for a basketball camp for a Rancho Cielo Silver Star high school student.
Junior’s death was caused by one person making a bad choice, and yet many were affected. Had that person made a different choice, the course of history would have been altered. The Alcala Family’s goal is to help even just one person make a different choice in life. Perhaps by offering an opportunity not otherwise available to a young person, the course of his or her life may be altered.