From Resident to Intern: The Story of EAH Housing Scholarship Recipient Cesar Gutierrez
August 27, 2025
Cesar has called Crescent Park in Richmond, CA home for 20 years. Today, he's an aspiring Business Information Systems professional and his path there runs directly through EAH Housing.
It started in high school when his mom spotted a flyer at the Crescent Park community office for a Shooting Stars business camp. That program sparked his interest in entrepreneurship and led him to a website-building course, which ultimately shaped his decision to pursue a degree in Business Information Systems.
With support from both the EAH Housing scholarship and Shooting Stars scholarships, Cesar enrolled at Contra Costa College and is set to continue his studies at San Francisco State University.
He's currently an intern with EAH Housing's Digital Literacy program, where he updates laptops and operating systems and creates accessible guides to help residents set up email accounts and navigate technology bringing his skills full circle to support the community that supported him.
EAH Housing truly cares about the personal growth of its residents," Cesar said. "If it wasn't for the flyers at the office, I wouldn't have known these opportunities even existed. For anyone unsure about where to start their career, EAH Housing has resources you should take advantage of. They can open up doors for you.
About the Scholarship Program
Cesar is one of 32 students who received scholarships this academic year through EAH Housing's partnership with 10,000 Degrees, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting first-generation and low-income college students. This year, EAH Housing awarded $80,000 in scholarships to students living in North Bay, East Bay, Fresno, and Hawaiʻi communities.
The scholarship program supports students pursuing a wide range of academic paths from aerospace engineering and construction management to nursing, psychology, film, and business systems at colleges and universities across California, Hawaiʻi, and beyond.
These scholarships do more than ease financial pressure. They help students stay focused on their studies and career goals, opening doors to long-term aspirations. For students like Cesar, they represent belief in potential and proof that investment in housing means investment in people.
