SoCal Gas awards $5,000 scholarship to Crafton Hills College grad

A Crafton Hills College Class of 2018 grad and father of two is the latest Roadrunner to win a $5,000 scholarship from the Southern California Gas Company.

Brent Stockton of Redlands was selected for the prize from a pool of nominees based on his strong academic successes at Crafton and his commitment to community involvement, Gas Company officials said in an email.

“I was astonished and tremendously grateful that So Cal Gas and Crafton Hills College made me the recipient of this stellar award,” Stockton said of the prize.

“It feels great to know that other people believe in what I am trying to accomplish and are willing to support my dreams,” he said.

Recipients of the scholarship had to meet certain criteria to be considered. They also must be enrolled as a full-time student during the 2018 fall semester.

Stockton plans to put his scholarship toward tuition costs at the University of Redlands where he hopes to take advantage of the “high quality” of education offered and the “exceptional” engineering program structure, he said.

From there, he has plans to transfer to Columbia University in New York or Washington University in St. Louis with his family in tow. Upon completing the program, Stockton hopes to obtain employment as an engineer in the energy industry, he said.

Prior to enrolling at Crafton, Stockton worked as a producer and audio engineer for the music business for about ten years. He selected the Roadrunner campus as his college of choice due to the quality of its surroundings, faculty and staff, he said.

“I found this gorgeous campus to be outstanding, providing a safe environment for learning with a high quality of teaching,” he said. “I think what I will miss most about CHC are the excellent professors I have been fortunate enough to learn from during my time on campus. I can honestly say that I have had some of the best teachers in my entire school career at CHC.

The scholarship, he continued, “will bring significant financial relief to our young, growing family.”