Five Woodbury University Students Awarded Prestigious Ebell Scholarships for Academic Excellence

With its 98-year legacy of financial support for high-achieving college and university students in Greater Los Angeles, The Ebell has awarded scholarships to five members of the Woodbury University student body, the university announced today.

Individual Ebell scholarships of $5,000 per academic year have been awarded to Zepur Avanesian​, a Junior in the Interior Architecture program; Sandra Gutierrez-Mata, a Sophomore in Business Management; Andrew Hill, a Senior in the Animation program; Anoush Markarian, a Senior majoring in Accounting; and Mila Anahit Sahinyan, a Senior in Business Management.  The Ebell scholars will continue to receive the grant for each academic year through graduation by maintaining a 3.25 GPA and taking 24 units/semester.

In keeping with its motto, “I Will Find a Way, or Make One…” The Ebell has pursued its mission of providing financial assistance in the form of scholarships to thousands of students attending Los Angeles County colleges and universities.  Starting in 1919 with a few students and less than $100, the fund made a significant leap in 1927 when the Charles Flint family bequeathed a scholarship endowment to The Ebell.  Since then The Ebell has grown and nurtured a multimillion-dollar fund.  Through its scholarship committee, The Ebell continues to seek out and subsidize academically outstanding students awarding grants totaling more than $200,000 annually.

“As one of Woodbury’s five Ebell Scholars this year, I’m more than honored,” said Mila Sahinyan. “This is a tribute to the university as well.  Woodbury is simply a fantastic place to get an education.”  The Ebell recognized this year’s recipients during a Scholarship Awards Night celebration in September and has scheduled a Scholars Breakfast for next February.

“For nearly a century, The Ebell has generously supported academic excellence in this community,” said David Steele-Figueredo, President of Woodbury University.  “We’re extremely proud that five Woodbury students – representing a mix of disciplines – have been so honored this year.  We heartily congratulate Zepur, Sandra, Andrew, Anoush and Mila, and we’re confident that they will continue to achieve, personally and professionally.”

The Ebell was established in 1894 as one of the nation’s pioneering women’s clubs.  In the early years, women’s clubs offered social, recreational, educational and cultural activities for women and became an important part of American town and village life in the latter part of the 19th Century.   In 1919, in response to the devastation of the First World War, The Ebell established a Scholarship Department.  The scholarship funds grew when the Charles Flint family created an endowed scholarship fund bearing their name.  Following the same path, The Ebell created The Ebell Scholarship Fund.  Investments, bequests and member contributions have today resulted in a $7 million endowment, which supports more than 100 qualified college students each year.

About Woodbury University

Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. The university ranks 15th among the nation’s “25 Colleges That Add the Most Value,” according to Money Magazine, was voted “Best Graduate School” in the Los Angeles Daily News 2018 Readers Choice Awards, and is a 2018-19 College of Distinction. Woodbury was a finalist for the General Community Service Award, a part of the 2015 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognition program. With campuses in Burbank/Los Angeles and San Diego, the university offers bachelor\\’s degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and College of Liberal Arts, along with a Master of Business Administration, Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture. The San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees, as well as a Master of Science in Architecture, Real Estate Development. Visit woodbury.edu for more information.