Copyright Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Across Napa County, more students from first-generation and low-income families are enrolling in and graduating from college — a shift fueled by growing community support and organizations like 10,000 Degrees. The Bay Area-based nonprofit, which helps students access and complete college through scholarships, mentorship and hands-on advising, held its first Napa fundraiser Oct. 23 at the Performing Arts Center at Napa Valley College. The event brought in $155,000, surpassing its $100,000 goal with help from a matching challenge by the Isabel and Michael Mondavi Foundation. Since expanding to Napa in 2018, 10,000 Degrees has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to 417 students — most the first in their families to attend college. That number has steadily grown each year. In 2025, the nonprofit supported 235 college students, 85% of them first-generation, compared with 98 students and 79% first-gen in 2023. The organization works with high schools in the Napa Valley Unified School District and Calistoga, part of its eight-county footprint in the Bay Area. “We know that education is the great equalizer,” said Kim Mazzuca, president and CEO of 10,000 Degrees. “If there’s ever a chance where the cycle of poverty is going to be broken, it is going to be through education.” The event came just weeks after the organization received a $42 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and her foundation, Yield Giving, a surprise donation Mazzuca described as deeply validating. “We did not expect that gift,” Mazzuca said. “It was probably the best surprise in my entire career. They mentioned that we were an extraordinary organization with extraordinary outcomes.” Among the evening’s emcees was Cinthya Cisneros, owner of La Cheve Bakery & Brewing in downtown Napa, who once relied on 10,000 Degrees to help her through school. She auctioned off a coveted prize — a chance to skip her restaurant’s famously long line — which drew the highest bid from Eric Jones, a candidate for California’s 4th Congressional District. The night mixed laughter with tears as alumni shared their stories of perseverance and pride. Leidy Tovar, who joined 10,000 Degrees as a student at St. Helena High School, said the support went far beyond tuition aid. “It wasn’t just a scholarship,” she said. “It was someone checking in, saying, ‘You’re doing great,’ and that really made a difference.” Tovar later returned home after college to work with local education and farmworker programs and now serves in child welfare in Marin County. Luis Angel Gomez-Avila, another alum, said he initially didn’t take advantage of the program. But after dropping out of community college and facing personal struggles, a friend encouraged him to reconnect. Now he’s studying business administration at Saint Mary’s College. “I didn’t think I’d ever be in this position where a few years later I’d be asked to be a student speaker,” he said. “They helped me find myself — I like to say that.” Supporting those students are “fellows,” recent graduates who work on community college campuses to guide new students through financial aid, enrollment and transfer processes. One of them is Jamilah Shimi, who works at Napa Valley College in her first professional role after college. “Their mission really resonated with me,” she said. “I’m first gen myself… I saw how support for first-gen students in higher education can be the difference between students achieving their goals or not.” 10,000 Degrees Regional Director Katrin Ciaffa said the inaugural fundraiser marked a milestone — seven years of work in Napa and a growing network of educators, alumni and donors. “Over half the students in Napa County are socioeconomically disadvantaged,” Ciaffa said. According to 2024-25 data from the state Department of Education, 12,044 of the county’s 18,585 public school students — roughly 65% — are classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged. “The need is real, and we are here to meet that need,” she said. “Any student in Napa with financial need can apply. Even if their school doesn’t have a fellow on site, we’re here for them.” For Cisneros, who once faced the barrier of being undocumented, that support was life-changing. And for longtime Napa advocate Teresa Foster, who co-emceed the event and has helped immigrants apply for citizenship for decades, the night captured a sense of unity. The room was filled with “comunidad,” Foster said. As the organization looks ahead, that sense of community — and the growing number of students it lifts up — remains its driving force, its leaders said.
