Poway High School’s Alumni Association awarded $27,500 in scholarships to 24 students graduating in the Class of 2026, said officials with the alumni association.
The awards were presented at a June 1 ceremony at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts.
Two of the scholarships totaling $1,500 were awarded in honor of Bob Champion, a former U.S. Navy officer who was a former Poway High teacher and coach; and one $1,000 scholarship was awarded in honor of Haskel Todd, a 1977 Poway High graduate who was passionate about sports.
Two scholarships totaling $3,500 were also awarded on behalf of Poway Valley Collision. The 19 scholarships awarded by the Poway High Alumni Association were one for $500, 15 for $1,000 and three for $2,000 each.
Two of the top scholarship recipients this year were Gavin Rose and Catalina Husseman.
Rose, 19, was awarded one of the top honors of $2,000. He said he was “very happy” to receive the award and his parents, Ken and Nicole Rose, are proud of him.
“It was nice to get the scholarship because it will help me financially with saving up for college,” said the 2026 Poway High graduate who earned a 4.3 GPA.
Courtesy Gavin Rose
Ramona resident Gavin Rose was one of the top scholarship recipients awarded by the Poway High Alumni Association. (Courtesy Gavin Rose)
The Ramona resident said he has been a member of the Poway High Student Alumni Club for four years. During that time he and Husseman were involved in club activities such as making a time capsule, organizing the homecoming game, and setting up the Titan Hall of Fame dinner.
Rose also played high school soccer for four years at Poway High in addition to playing club soccer for about seven years.
Rose said he plans to use his scholarship funds toward tuition at UC Berkeley where he intends to study biology.
“I hope to become a doctor or do something in the medical field,” Rose said. “I’m not entirely sure yet, but I’ll figure it out in college and maybe even med school.”
Rose said he also plans to earn money for college by working at the Cali Bistro pop-up restaurant where he will cook food at sports parks during sporting events.
“I plan to join the Poway High Alumni Association now that I’ve graduated,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to give back and help raise scholarships for future students as well.”
Courtesy Poway High Alumni Association
Poway High Class of 2026 graduate Dayana Espinoza Ramirez accepts her scholarship awards at the Poway High Alumni Association ceremony with the association’s President Larry Ott. (Courtesy Poway High Alumni Association)
Husseman, 18, received a $1,000 scholarship.
“I was really happy and super excited about winning the scholarship,” said the 2026 Poway High graduate who earned a 4.1 GPA.
The Poway resident said she has been a member of the Poway High Student Alumni Club for three years.
Husseman, whose parents are Lili and Jacob Husseman, said she joined the club at the suggestion of a friend.
“It was really interesting, so I decided to keep going with it,” she said.
Husseman plans to use her scholarship funds toward tuition at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Although she is currently undecided about her major, she is considering focusing on business administration.
Some of Husseman’s favorite activities in high school included competing on the school’s cross country and track teams for all four years. Her favorite class was Advanced Placement human geography where she learned about the different places people live and how they interact with each other, she said.
“I really liked Grad Night,” she said of the June 4 trip to Belmont Park with her graduating class. “That was a fun time getting to see all my friends.”
The mission of the Poway High Alumni Association is to foster and promote a culture of fellowship, pride and celebration of life among the worldwide community of Titan alumni, said the association’s President Larry Ott during the awards ceremony. Goals include preserving its traditions of excellence in education, volunteer involvement, and philanthropic commitment for future generations, he said.
The organization accomplishes this through various programs such as managing the Titan Museum and Hall of Fame on campus, providing mentorship to members of the Student Alumni Club and assisting with class reunions, Ott said.
Courtesy Poway High Alumni Association
Poway High Class of 2026 graduate Matthew Thomas, center, accepts his Poway High Alumni Association scholarship with association representatives. (Courtesy Poway High Alumni Association)
The Poway High Alumni Association established its scholarship program in 2014 with a $500 scholarship. The program expanded over the years and its combined scholarships have totaled $150,000, Ott said. The money to keep the program running is provided by donations, sponsors and supporters, he said.
“The Poway High Alumni charity golf tournament held each October is our primary fundraiser,” he said. “We encourage all members of the Poway High community to participate.”
The first scholarship being presented that evening was a Student Athlete scholarship in memory of Champion. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Champion served as a distinguished and decorated combat officer in the Navy.
Champion began his teaching and coaching career at Poway High in 1972. During his 34 years at Poway High School, he taught oceanography, science and physics and coached numerous sports including soccer, football, golf, Lacrosse and track.
“He started the soccer program at Poway High and finished his career with 483 victories and three CIF championships,” Ott said. “Coach Champ started and led the Varsity Club at Poway High and helped student athletes focus on leadership, goals and values. Champ was passionate about the ocean environment. Champ was also adamant about teamwork throughout the campus and worked hard to promote unity among the Emerald Brigade Band and the athletics department.”
In 2008, Champ was inducted as a charter member of the San Diego County High School Coaching Legends by the San Diego Hall of Champions. After dedicating most of his adult life to the students of Poway High School, Champion passed away in 2024.
“He made a positive impact on thousands of lives and this tribute scholarship was set up to continue his strong commitment to education, the environment, athletics, and the Poway High community,” Ott said.
Another scholarship was announced as the Haskel Todd Memorial Scholarship. Todd attended Poway schools from elementary through high school. Before he graduated from Poway High School in 1977, he faced many difficulties and used athletics as a way to escape, Ott said.
Whether it was baseball, basketball or football or anything else, Haskel was passionate about sports and he was a success on the field, he said.
“At times though, academics were a struggle for Haskel and his hopes to get an athletic scholarship for college were ended with multiple injuries suffered on the field,” Ott said.
Haskel Todd passed away on Dec. 31, 2017. Before his death, Todd made provisions to provide funding for a scholarship in his name at Poway High School. The purpose is to assist students who are passionate about sports and the educational opportunities sports provides.