Three Ramona residents are among 22 recipients of Don Diego Scholarship Foundation scholarships that total $94,000.
As the high school seniors graduate from high school, the scholarship funds will help them embark on higher education opportunities and pursue worthwhile careers in an array of fields, said foundation officials.
Don Diego Scholarship Foundation Chairperson Kirby Morrison said the foundation is “elated” to celebrate these scholar-leaders, including a number of first-generation college students, during its 40th anniversary year.
The three top award winners of $10,000 each were Arya Bosworth, a Poway High School graduate and Scripps Ranch resident, and Zaya Kramer of Fallbrook and Angie Santizo-Gomez of Escondido.
The following are three Ramona residents who were honored with Don Diego and other scholarships this year.
Eythan Browning, 18.
Browning is a Ramona resident who recently graduated from Ramona High School with a 3.2 GPA. He received a $2,500 Allan Royster Endowment Vocational Education Scholarship through the Don Diego Scholarship Foundation.
Courtesy Eythan Browning
Ramona resident Eythan Browning holds a belt buckle that he won for his 14-foot dump trailer project on display at the San Diego County Fair. Browning received a $2,500 Allan Royster Endowment Vocational Education Scholarship to study welding at ABC Construction. (Courtesy Eythan Browning)
Browning said he plans to use his scholarship funds to attend the ABC Construction school in Poway where he will study welding and pipe fitting. He will also learn the trade by working at Pacific Rim Mechanical in Poway, he said.
“I was very excited to get this scholarship,” said Browning, who plans to make welding at Pacific Rim Mechanical his career. “It will help me with buying tools I need for my career and help me with school.”
Browning has participated in Ramona High’s FFA program for four years. Although he is not showing animals this year, he said he has a 25-foot gooseneck trailer and a smoker that he fabricated on display at the San Diego County Fair this year.
He said he thanks his agriculture teacher Curtis Martineau and FFA adviser Danielle Upson, who is also an agriculture science and floral design instructor, for their mentorship.
“They helped guide the way to my future career and led me along this journey,” Browning said.
Angel Garrett, 18.
Garrett, a Ramona resident, recently graduated from Poway High School with a 4.12 GPA. She received a $3,500 Junior Livestock Auction Scholarship and a $1,500 Roxana Foxx Endowment FFA Scholarship through the Don Diego scholarship program.
Courtesy Angel Garrett
Ramona resident Angel Garrett, shown with her lambs Astro, left, and Apollo, received a $3,500 Junior Livestock Auction Scholarship and a $1,500 Roxana Foxx Endowment FFA Scholarship. Garrett plans to study animal science at the University of Idaho. (Courtesy Angel Garrett)
Garrett said she is planning to use the funds to study animal science and also agribusiness at the University of Idaho. Her goal is to be a veterinarian for large animals and equines.
“I’m really excited and honored to be receiving these scholarships,” Garrett said. “These are amazing people who are so deserving of scholarships and I’m glad I got to be one of them.”
Garrett has been an active FFA member throughout her high school career, serving as secretary, historian and president in addition to participating in speaking competitions.
This year at the San Diego County Fair she will be showing goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits and chickens. She said she is also displaying her collection of free form ceramics sculptures at the fair.
Garrett earned an additional $1,250 scholarship from the Ramona Junior Fair.
“It will all be worth it in the end because I love animals and youth in agriculture,” she said of her future career. “I feel it’s my purpose to give back to youth and agriculture so that’s what I want to do.”
Kaitlyn Peck, 18.
Peck is a Ramona resident who earned a 4.5 GPA at Ramona High this past school year.
Her Don Diego scholarships were a $4,000 William and Betty Ann Tulloch Endowment Junior Livestock Auction Scholarship and a $2,500 Tulloch Family Partners/Glenn Drown FFA Scholarship.
Courtesy Kaitlyn Peck
Ramona resident Kaitlyn Peck is shown at the 2025 San Diego County Fair Junior Livestock Auction with her lamb named Wilbur. Peck received a $4,000 William and Betty Ann Tulloch Endowment JLA Scholarship and a $2,500 Tulloch Family Partners/Glenn Drown FFA Scholarship. She plans to study plant and soil science in addition to agricultural leadership at Oklahoma State University. (Courtesy Kaitlyn Peck)
Peck plans to double major in plant and soil science in addition to agricultural leadership at Oklahoma State University this fall.
She was recognized as Ramona High’s Class of 2026 salutatorian and served as president of the school’s FFA chapter the past two years. Additionally, she was a member of the Ramona High wrestling team for four years.
“The scholarships will help a lot because I won’t have to worry about paying debt and can focus more on the education aspect,” she said. “Being in FFA and having a leadership role has made me want to learn more about how I can be a leader in the field of agriculture.”
Peck additionally received a $2,750 scholarship from the Ramona Garden Club. Her largest scholarship is the McKnight Scholarship through Oklahoma State that will fund $87,000 toward her four-year education.
At the San Diego County Fair this year, Peck plans to show a pig named Tala and a lamb named Hei Hei.
“I’m not entirely sure of my ultimate career goal but I’d love to get a job doing research in the field of plant and soil science,” Peck said. “I was surprised about the Don Diego scholarships, but I was very grateful for getting that much in scholarships. I appreciate the people who donated money so that people who are interested in the field of agriculture can continue their education.”