’Xavier Saldivar-Lopez ’25 did not have an easy journey to University of the Pacific, but with optimism, resilience and the support of his community, he has thrived.

"Whatever path I take, I know that life’s challenges do not define us—how we respond to them does. The key is to grow from them, persevere and persist,” he said.

Saldivar-Lopez shared his story at Pacific’s annual Scholarship Appreciation Luncheon March 20. Since 2014, the event has allowed students receiving donor-funded scholarships to meet and thank their donors. Donors, in turn, learn firsthand how their generosity impacts students’ lives.

This year’s luncheon in the Don and Karen DeRosa University Center connected nearly 100 students with the alumni and friends who support them. Students and donors exchanged highlights from their respective Pacific experiences and career journeys. 

Saldivar-Lopez, a Community Involvement Program Scholar, shared how scholarships have allowed him to pursue a business degree while also working and caring for his mother, who is recovering from a life-threatening illness.

“I knew I needed to stay home after high school, but I didn’t want to put my education on the back burner, because a college degree meant a career, rather than a job,” the Stockton native said. “I came to understand that education was going to be our ticket out of poverty.”

One of more than 1,300 students receiving donor-funded scholarships this year, he will be the first in his family to graduate from college.

“I hope to be an inspiration for my nieces and nephews who, unlike me, will have someone in the family they can talk to about college,” he said. “I hope they know that if their Tio can do it, so can they. Receiving scholarships has made all this possible, which is a blessing and truly a sigh of relief.”

Nearly 90% of Pacific students receive financial aid each year. During the 2023-24 academic year, the university awarded $12.7 million in donor-funded endowed scholarships.

Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Scott Biedermann ’05, ’20 reminded luncheon guests that scholarships do not only impact the students who receive them; students’ families and communities benefit as well.

“For each student receiving a scholarship, so many other lives will also be changed,” he said. “By supporting students, our donors also are indirectly supporting every family, client or patient those students will go on to serve. Multiply that by 1,300, and you see just how powerful that investment truly is.”

Amanda Bricker ’26 spoke about being diagnosed as a toddler with profound hearing loss and receiving cochlear implants. She was later treated at the RiteCare Childhood Language Center of Stockton, where Pacific speech-language pathology students complete their clinical rotations.

Bricker’s speech therapist was Professor Emeritus of Audiology Robert Hanyak ’79, who was recently honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award. Her sessions were observed by then-student clinician Derek Isetti ’08, who today chairs the speech-language pathology program and is Bricker’s academic advisor.

“Becoming a Tiger was such a full-circle moment for me, especially when I learned I would be working side-by-side with the student observer who watched my sessions 15 years ago,” she said. “I felt God was truly showing me my purpose on this earth."

Bricker is a student-athlete on Pacific’s Division I softball team. She looks forward to applying lessons learned on the field—collaboration, grit and leadership—to her work with patients.

“When I was first diagnosed, my parents could have used someone like me to show them that their child will not only survive but will come out at the other end of the tunnel being the best version of themselves,” Bricker said.

“I want to be the doctor that parents can turn to for reassurance. My personal experience will benefit me, because I can show both patients and their families that everything is going to be okay. This is possible because of the scholarships I’ve received at Pacific.”

Alongside Bricker and Saldivar-Lopez, the luncheon featured an inspiring vocal performance by Conservatory of Music student Miranda Duarte ’26 and a special appearance by Conservatory alumnus and current American Idol contestant Filo Ebid ’23.

“We are thrilled that Filo is with us today, as a living testament to the impact of scholarships and the ways they help students to go out in the world and pursue their dreams,” Biedermann said.

“Donors, your generosity not only provides financial support for these students, but also instills confidence in all that’s possible for them, and all that they are capable of,” he continued. “Thank you for making a lasting difference in their lives and in the future of Pacific.”

To learn more about supporting scholarships for Pacific students, contact Molly Byrne, senior associate vice president for development, at 209.946.2780 or mbyrne1@pacific.edu.