Izarraras Tabbed Don MacKenzie Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Long Beach, Calif. - Former Long Beach City College women's soccer midfielder Kimberly Izarraras was tabbed a Don MacKenzie Memorial Scholarship recipient, announced Wednesday. She will receive a $1,000 award from the South Coast Conference (SCC).

Izarraras graduated in June 2021 with two associates degrees in biological and physical sciences with a 3.74 GPA and is transferring to Long Beach State as a biochemistry major. She said in her personal statement in her application for the scholarship, "My plan is to get a career in research, be able to call myself a Hispanic and woman in STEM. I'm working very hard to make that happen."

Due to COVID-19, she only played one year for Vikings head coach Eduardo Nunes in 2019, earning All-SCC Second Team accolades with a pair of goals, including one match-winning score, and an assist. She helped lead the team to its first playoff appearance since 2013 with a 14-6 overall record, 6-2 in conference play. Additionally, she was named the 2020 3C4A Female Achievement Award winner, which is given to student-athletes who overcome hardships and excel in the classroom and on their respective field of play.

"I witnessed her hard work and dedication first hand," Nunes said. "While getting to work with Kim, I could clearly see that she worked hard for everything she got. It was not just something she did on the soccer field, but in the classroom and in her personal life, as well. I never saw her take it easy in a practice or a game. It will be extremely difficult for me to replace Kim on my roster, and I will miss her as a player and person. But I am extremely happy and proud of her success."

Izarraras and Mt. SAC's Valerie Chen were the female co-recipients, the first duo to share the honor in the history of the award.

The Don MacKenzie Memorial Scholarship is awarded to one male and one female student-athlete who exhibit strong academics and high performance on the field of play. In several cases, the student-athletes chosen have also overcome obstacles and involve themselves in campus and community service. The awards honor the memory of MacKenzie, the long-time SCC Commissioner from 1979 until his passing in 2004.

Izarraras becomes Long Beach's sixth selection for the Don MacKenzie Memorial Scholarship, and only the second female recipient, first for women's soccer, since the award's inception in 2007.

The full release from the SCC, including past award winners can be viewed by clicking here.