The Warren Christopher Scholarship: Empowering LAUSD Students

The Warren Christopher Scholarship Program stands as a beacon of hope for students within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Named in honor of Warren Christopher, former U.S. Secretary of State, the scholarship not only provides financial assistance but also fosters a supportive community to help students overcome obstacles and achieve their academic dreams. Secretary Christopher passed away on March 18, 2011, at the age of 85, but his willingness to help others and his enthusiasm for public service live on in the scholarship program that bears his name.

A Legacy of Service: Honoring Warren Christopher

Warren Christopher's commitment to public service and his belief in the power of education inspired the creation of this scholarship program. As former chairman and senior partner at O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Christopher exemplified the firm's dedication to serving and improving the community. In 1992, O’Melveny established the Warren Christopher Scholarship Program to honor Warren Christopher, the firm’s former chairman and senior partner, when President Bill Clinton appointed him US Secretary of State.

Scholarship Overview

The Warren Christopher Scholarship Program is designed to support promising students from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) who demonstrate academic potential and face significant challenges. LAUSD students are the only students eligible for this scholarship.

Financial Support

Every year, 15 Los Angeles Unified School District sophomores are selected as Warren Christopher Scholars. Upon enrolling in college, Warren Christopher Scholars receive $5,000 a year for four years to help finance their college education. To date, the program has helped 266 students realize their dream of attending college.

Community and Mentorship

The program extends beyond financial aid, fostering a strong community among scholars. The advisory board and a committee of volunteers from O’Melveny & Myers LLP and outside the firm take a personal interest in each scholar, giving mentorship and career advice, providing job and internship opportunities and helping scholars find the resources and services they need (including even housing and medical care in some extreme situations). Also critical to our success in these efforts is support from partnering organizations like the California Community Foundation and the Los Angeles Unified School District, among many others.

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Thanks to the work and generosity of our board, volunteer committee, and a strong network of donors and friends of the program, the scholars also have many opportunities throughout the year to build a network with each other. Such events include art tours hosted by curators at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, job hunting and college essay writing seminars, our annual holiday party, a weekend summer excursion, and a summer send-off party for our scholars entering college. We also have been able to provide the scholars access to Kaplan SAT prep courses, finance crucial educational technology, help them navigate the world of graduate school, and also find jobs in programs like ours that serve other disadvantaged students. And they have access to apply for a dedicated graduate program scholarship.

Eligibility and Nomination Process

Each LAUSD high school can nominate only one qualified candidate each year for possible designation as a Christopher Scholar.

Key Dates:

February 17, 2026 (form opens January 20) - identify the ONE student who will submit the scholarship application from your school.
March 19, 2026 (form opens February 19) - the deadline to submit an online application. Please follow up with the student nominee to ensure they have submitted the application.

For students unable to submit online - please connect them to the following: Dickson Perey, School Counseling Services Division of Instruction 333 S. Beaudry Avenue, 18th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017.

Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Success

The students chosen face real risks that their education will be cut short by circumstances beyond their control. Often attending high schools with exceptionally high drop-out rates and living in circumstances ravaged by drugs, violence, poverty and illness, Christopher Scholars have gone on to attend some of the finest universities in the country. Our Christopher Scholars are now teachers, public servants, doctors, lawyers, business people, entrepreneurs, political advisors, and community leaders-all are shining examples of success against long odds.

A Cost-Efficient and Successful Program

The Warren Christopher Scholarship program is one of the most cost-efficient and successful scholarship programs of its kind in the country. Relying on an original $1.5 million grant, a focused mission, wise investment decisions and minimal overhead costs, the program has awarded roughly $3 million in scholarships - or twice the initial grant.

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Supporting Scholars Through Hardship

In 2020, we started a hardship fund to assist scholars through the pandemic. Since that time, the fund has awarded more than $35,000 to assist our community through unexpected losses and hard times. Donations to the program can be made directly to the hardship fund or to the general education fund.

How to Contribute

Please make a contribution to The Warren Christopher Scholarship Fund today to support more promising LAUSD students. There are many options to contribute:

Send a check payable to the California Community Foundation, specifying Warren Christopher Scholarship Fund in the memo, to 717 W Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Make a wire transfer.

Other Scholarship Opportunities

While the Warren Christopher Scholarship is specifically for LAUSD students, numerous other scholarships cater to a wider range of students with diverse backgrounds and fields of study. Here are a few examples:

Dickson Perey, School Counseling ServicesDivision of Instruction333 S. Adelaide Boerner Trickey Scholarship Must be a Junior or Senior (60+ earned hours) and have a major in one of the following departments: Music or Psychology Rotates on a two-year basis between the School of Music and the Department of Psychology (see scholarship information for dates)
Betty Abel McKenzie Scholarship Must have a major in one of the following departments: Art, Art History, and Design; Music; Dance; Theatre. Preference given to students who identify as a first-generation college student
Betty and Paul Abel Scholarship All CLAS majors with preference given to students who identify as a first-generation college student
David W. Koehser Scholarship Must be a Senior and have a major in one of the following departments: Political Science or History
Edward B. Buchanan, Jr. and Mary Louise Buchanan Scholarship Must be a Junior or Senior (60+ earned hours), and be a major in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, or Mathematics
Isabel Navasca "Lola" Corpuz Student Success Fund Must have a major in the humanities, with preference to students who are Iowa residents and identify as a first-generation college student
Jackie L. Christopher Scholarship Must have a major in one of the following departments: Mathematics or Computer Science
James and Syndy Conger Scholarship Must have a major in one of the following departments: Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures or Classics (Classical Languages)
Kenneth J. and Sharon L. (Reisch) Erickson Scholarship Must have a major in one of the following departments: Chemistry; Physics and Astronomy; Mathematics; Biology; Communications Science and Disorders; Computer Science; Earth, Environment, and Sustainability; Health, Sport, and Human Physiology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Statistics and Actuarial Science
Mary Pelechek Scholarship for Students in the Fine Arts Must have a major in one of the following departments: Art, Art History, and Design; Dance; Music; or Theatre Arts
Manuel Paul and Abraham Chinitz Liberal Arts and Sciences Scholarship Must have a major in one of the following departments: Chemistry; Physics and Astronomy; Earth, Environment, and Sustainability; Biology; Mathematics; Computer Science. Preference given to students from Cass or surrounding counties in Iowa
Morris & Lenore Mandelbaum Family Fund Scholarship Must have graduated from a Des Moines high school
Rainbow Science Scholarship Fund Must have a major in one of the following departments: Chemistry; Physics and Astronomy; Mathematics; Biology; Communications Science and Disorders; Computer Science; Earth, Environment, and Sustainability; Health, Sport, and Human Physiology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; and/or Statistics and Actuarial Science
Richard J. Odem and Robin W. Odem Scholarship Fund Must be a Sophomore or Junior and have a major in one of the following departments: Mathematics or Statistics. Must be a resident of the state of Iowa.
Richard S. and Helene D. Trump Scholarship Must have a major in one of the following departments: German or School of Art, Art History, and Design
Scholarships are available to both full and part-time students who have completed at least 12 credits. The University considers a student full-time if he/she schedules a total of 12 or more credits per semester.
Eligibility: Consideration shall be given to all graduate and/or undergraduate students currently enrolled at University Park who are considered by the University to be disabled. Charlotte W.
Eligibility: Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all graduate and undergraduate students, full-time and half time, enrolled at any location of the Pennsylvania State University. Polis Charitable Foundation - Charlotte W.
Eligibility: Consideration shall be given to students who have demonstrated financial need and are disabled as defined under the provision of the ADAAA or the Rehab. Act. Perrotta Family - Charlotte W.
Eligibility: Consideration shall be given to students who have demonstrated financial need and are disabled as defined under the provision of the ADAAA or the Rehab. Act. Students must be registered with the Office of Disability Services and the Office of Veterans Programs at any Penn State campus. David E. Gallagher - Charlotte W.
The purpose of this scholarship shall be to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll at The Pennsylvania State University who have demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses. The David Gallagher Foundation was established to keep alive the memory and spirit of David Gallagher. David, who died suddenly in 2004, had a strong sense of character with a generous spirit. Eligibility: Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll at The Pennsylvania State University who have demonstrated financial need. The Office of Student Aid is responsible for identifying the eligible pool of students. First preference shall be given to students from the eligible pool who are disabled as defined under provision of the ADAAA or the Rehab. Act.
Eligibility: All scholarship applicants must be determined by the University to have a disability according to the ADAAA or the Rehab. Act. Consideration of this scholarship shall be given to all full-time or half-time students enrolled at the University who have end stage renal disease or are awaiting or have received a kidney transplant. Eligibility: All scholarship applications must be determined by the University to have a disability according to the ADAAA or the Rehab. Act. Consideration for this award shall be given to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences who have achieved outstanding academic achievement. The Charles T.
Eligibility: Consideration shall be given to deserving students who are enrolled as full-time students at the University, who have achieved superior academic records and who manifest promise of future success in their field. David R. Virginia G. Jason C.
Eligibility: Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students who are currently enrolled at the Pennsylvania State University who have achieved positive academic records or who manifest promise of academic success, who are physically disabled, and who have a proven financial need. Howard C. and Betty B.

Global O'Melveny Scholarships

O’Melveny’s scholarship commitment has grown into a global program, rewarding the scholastic achievements of deserving young people in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Beijing, and Shanghai. In addition to financial support, O’Melveny’s scholarship recipients receive hands-on support, including mentorship, interview training, and networking assistance.

O'Melveny Elementary School Program (Los Angeles): Every year, eight fifth-grade students are selected as O’Melveny Scholars. Upon enrolling in college, O’Melveny Scholars receive $6,000 a year for four years to help finance their college education. To date, the program has helped 260 students realize their dream of attending college. O'Melveny’s long-standing relationship with O'Melveny Elementary School dates back to 1991 when we were paired as part of the Los Angeles Unified School District's Adopt-a-School Program.
Shanghai Legal Scholarship Awards: Every year, 12 third-year undergraduates or second-year postgraduate law students (including doctorate candidate students) are selected from the three leading Shanghai law schools (East China University of Political Science and Law, Fudan University Law School, and Shanghai University of International Business and Economics School of Law). The Shanghai scholarship helps recipients finance their law school education.
Beijing Legal Scholarship Awards: Every year, 12 third-year undergraduates or second-year postgraduate law students (including doctorate candidate students) are selected from the five leading Beijing law schools (China University of Political Science and Law, Peking University Law School, Renmin University of China Law School, Tsinghua University School of Law, and University of International Business and Economics School of Law). The Beijing scholarship helps recipients finance their law school education.
New York Scholarship Program: Every year, three high school juniors from each of New York City’s five boroughs are selected to join the New York Scholarship Program. Five scholars receive $3,500 a year for four years, the remaining ten scholars receive $500 a year for four years.
San Francisco Scholarship Program: Every year, three high-achieving tenth-grade students are selected (one O’Melveny Scholar and two finalists). Upon enrolling in college, the O’Melveny scholar receives $5,000 per year for four years; the two finalists each receive $1,000. Located in San Francisco’s Excelsior District, Balboa High School has historically educated a greater proportion of the city’s underserved and ethnically diverse students relative to other high schools in the city.

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