10 seniors at Sun Valley school get full rides to college thanks to generous donation from alum

SUN VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Promising students at John H. Francis Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley celebrated "senior awards night" with a special gift - a full ride to college thanks to one very special high school alumnus.

Polytechnic High class of 1969 alumnus, Jerry Kline, founded Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation to award life-changing scholarships to students at his alma mater.

"What I'm studying is very rigorous, I'm studying public health because I want to become a pediatrician," scholarship recipient Prescilla Cobieya said. "So having that financial debt off my shoulders is something I am grateful for and will forever be thankful for."

Priscilla Cobieya is on her way to University California San Diego and is one of ten students from her class receiving roughly $40,000 in scholarship money.

"That idea of, if you work a part time job, you can put yourself through school is an impossibility," Kline said.

Thanks to Kline's Foundation, this is the fifth group of seniors who won't have to face that financial burden. For Emely Rodriguez, it's a relief as she heads off to San Diego State University to study advertising.

"I was planning on taking a lot of loans out and I was just going to be in a lot of debt ...as well as probably having two jobs while attending school full time, which is honestly hard not only physically, but mentally," Rodriguez said.

For first-generation college students like Nicholas Rivas, a hefty scholarship award like this could make a huge impact on their futures.

"My parents could have never afforded it on their own - I made a promise to my mom a few years ago that I wouldn't make her pay a dime," the UC San Diego prospect said. "And I actually managed to do it with the Kline scholarship, which is amazing."

In addition to this year's ten Kline scholarship recipients, five juniors and five sophomores received the Kline Future Scholar Award.

"Right now we are committed to $2 million worth of scholarships ...and growing," Kline said.

The same way Kline paid it forward, the recipients are required to give back at some point to future students at Polytechnic High.