BC Receives $100,000 Grant to Support Students Pursuing Healthcare Careers

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Last week, Bank of America hosted their annual Community Roundtable and Celebration in the Renegade Event Center. The event brings together local community members and businesses to discuss public relations, charitable contributions and strategizing, and more. During the event, the BC Foundation received the 2026 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Grant for $100,000 to support the Aspiring Medical Professionals Pathway.

Karen Zuber, President of Bakersfield Local Market at Bank of America, was excited to announce the recipient of the grant. “We are so honored to present this year’s Neighborhood Builder Award to the Bakersfield College Foundation,” she said to the attendees, “we thank you for believing in students, we thank for believing in the community, and for helping create opportunities that can change the course of a person’s life.”

Dr. Stephen Waller, Dean of Instruction at BC, was happy to be part of the team that accepted the grant. “This is the new Bakersfield College. We have developed a pathway for students to attend medical school and come back here to our local hospitals to complete their residencies and become doctors,” he said. “We are here to serve the whole medical field of our community. It is a major endeavor, and we are one of the only community colleges in the nation that offers this opportunity for students.”

The funding will expand access to educational opportunities for students looking to pursue degrees and careers in healthcare. Thank you, Bank of America, for investing in the healthcare programs at BC which will make a direct impact on future medical professionals in Bakersfield, Kern County, California, and beyond.