"Impossible is an opinion, not a fact."

That’s according to Cameron Clapp, a remarkable young man who was the student speaker at Cuesta College’s Annual Scholarship Recognition Reception on August 3. Cuesta 2004 Honored Alumnus Greig Welch and donor Marc Riley also spoke at the reception, in front if several hundred donors and scholarship recipients.

Two-hundred-and-thirty-seven Cuesta scholarship students received a total of 260 scholarships, valued at more than $130,000. The value of individual scholarships averaged $500.

The Cuesta College Financial Aid Committee, composed of college faculty, staff and managers, determines scholarship awards. More than 70 of the recipients were high school seniors, the highest number ever of high school scholarship recipients.

Cameron Clapp, a psychology major, was the recipient of the Zelle Diefenderfer Endowment. In September 2001 at the age of 15, Cameron suffered a tragic train accident, resulting in the amputations of both legs above the knees and his right arm just below the shoulder. His family was told that he would never walk again.

Five months after the accident, Cameron was walking independently with the use of prosthetic legs. He now uses several types of legs for different activities, including running competitively, swimming and golfing. Along with his academic goals, Cameron hopes to one day represent the U.S. in the International Paralympic games. More information about Cameron can be found online at www.cameronclapp.com.

For more information about scholarships and the difference they make for students, contact Robin Crawford at ext. 2322