Concepcion Santamaria and Virginia McNulty McNamara

Concepcion Santamaria was a devoted wife and loving mother; whose unwavering sacrifices and tireless work were dedicated to building a prosperous life for herself and her family. Like so many Americans, she immigrated to the United States in the pursuit of opportunities and to contribute to an enriched life. Originally from Mexico, she moved to Los Angeles to join her husband, who held a promising position with La Opinión, the prominent Spanish-language newspaper.
As a young bride, she focused on creating a warm and stable home for her husband and, soon, their growing family. Through patience and perseverance, she adapted to her new country, thoughtfully blending the positive values, customs, and traditions of both Mexico and the United States. Her children fondly remember the joyful interweaving of Halloween and Día de los Muertos—two of the household’s most cherished celebrations.
Once her children were grown and beginning their own careers and families, she turned her attention to a lifelong dream: becoming a United States citizen. With determination and discipline, she attended citizenship classes, studied American history, and even enrolled in additional courses at the local community college.
In 1991, she proudly achieved her goal of U.S. citizenship and was eligible to vote in the 1992 presidential election. She remained a committed voter in every election until her passing in 2017.
Through Concepcion’s love, faith, and determination, she inspired her son Francisco to pursue higher education, ultimately earning a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in education from California State University at Long Beach.

Virginia McNulty McNamara was born in Waterbury, Connecticut and remained a New Englander at heart for her entire life – inquisitive, progressive, stubborn, and a staunch advocate for justice and equity. As a young girl, she was infatuated with an adventurous character in a children’s book named Jinx, and insisted that was her name from the age of seven onward.
Jinx graduated from James Madison University with a BA in education. As a single woman she made a career teaching high school business courses in the Baltimore public school system throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. In that capacity, she inspired a new generation of young women to pursue careers that had been unavailable to women only a few years earlier.
Jinx paused her own career temporarily when she married in order to devote time to her two children during their early childhoods. She ultimately returned to teaching ten years later. In order to accelerate her career, she pursued and earned a Master’s Degree from McDaniel College by taking classes in the evening for several years, all while working full-time and raising a family. Jinx was a firm believer in the value of higher education, a belief she instilled in her children.
Everyone who knew Jinx appreciated her dry sense of humor as well as her sense of style. Even during the most hectic times, juggling work and family, Jinx was quick with a witty remark and never left the house without lipstick and a coordinated jewelry set.

The College of Education (CED) expresses gratitude to all scholarship donors who continue to enhance the quality of education students experience at CSULB.