The Elva S. Riggins Scholarship Fund

The Elva S. Riggins Scholarship Fund awarded its first scholarship in 2009. The scholarship was named for Elva S. Riggins—wife, mother, and teacher—who taught secondary-level English in the Compton Unified School District for 35 years. She was among a handful of “Pioneer Black Teachers” who integrated the previously all-White district in the mid-1950s. 

Elva Riggins possessed the gift of seeing what was special in others, encouraging them to develop and utilize their unique qualities and gifts. Her tutelage and mentoring helped many of her students set their sights higher, pursue higher education, and increase their value to the community. 

Mrs. Riggins ensured that her own four children grew up with a deep appreciation for learning and education. Their home was filled with books. Getting a library card was almost a rite of passage. They were taught they could accomplish anything they set their minds to, even when society did not treat them as equals. 

All of the siblings acquired college degrees. They also absorbed their mother’s values: honesty, hard work, kindness to others, tenacity, commitment to God and family, and a deep sense of social responsibility. 

To honor her legacy, Elva’s children and grandchildren pooled the modest inheritance she had left them and established a scholarship in her name. Together with your contributions, scholarships are awarded annually. 

 The Elva S. Riggins Scholarship Fund proudly introduces you to Emily Garcia, our 2024 scholarship awardee. Ms. Garcia writes the following about her academic achievements and aspirations:

“I am a first-generation Mexican American senior at Dominguez High School. I have been in the Compton Unified School District since elementary school. This Fall, I will be attending UCLA as a Public Health major. I aim to become an epidemiologist in order to help my community througha scientific lens and improve lifestyles through minimizing negative health outcomes by prioritizing research, community education, and health policy to mitigate risks and occurrences.

Knowing I come from an underprivileged community has really opened my eyes to how important it is to be active in it. I aim to change that by inspiring the youth to be involved in their community. 

As of now, I, alongside a few peers, and our higher education coordinator devised a mentorship program to assist freshmen who were taking dual enrollment courses. Through this program, we put an emphasis on helping the mentees develop social emotional skills. With my mentees, I cultivated an environment where they can discover their passions, grow, and be vulnerable.”

The mission of the Elva S. Riggins Scholarship Fund is to support Black Students and Students of Color (SOC) from middle school through college to pursue educational goals that prepare them to use their talents in service to their communities.