About

The Railway Association of Southern California is committed to supporting graduate and undergraduate students working towards careers in the rail transportation industry. Our scholarship program is offered once a year to local students in the Southern California region. In 2023, the Railway Association of Southern California awarded four $3000 scholarships to undergraduate students and four $3000 scholarships to graduate students. All scholarships this year were funded by RASC, thanks to the generosity of our members, attendees, and corporate sponsors.

Who can apply for the scholarship?

Undergraduate or graduate students who will be enrolled in Fall 2023 at a public or private higher education institution in Southern California (defined as Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Ventura or San Diego counties) in a degree program which could lead to a career in the rail transportation industry.
Minimum GPA of 3.0
Interested in a profession in the rail transportation industry such as engineering, planning, or operations.
Please note that prior scholarship recipients, family of RASC board and scholarship review committee members are not eligible for award. Applicants who have applied but have not been awarded the scholarship are encouraged to apply.

How to apply for the scholarship:

The application period for the 2024 scholarship will open on February 26th, 2024, with a due date in early May. In mid-May we will be announcing the scholarship winners, and hosting the scholarship dinner in late May. Please sign up for our mailing list to be notified of this event, as well as any outreach events on your campus.

How to schedule an outreach session at your school:

RASC has a college outreach program geared towards students interested in a profession in the rail transportation industry, going over rail industry topics. In addition to scholarship outreach, this program provides guest lectures, field visits to rail facilities, and a “Rail 101” course. More information can be found on the college program page.

SOME OF OUR PAST RECIPIENTS:

2019 Scholarship Winners

(From Left to Right) 2019 Vice-President Gyan Sinha, Zakhary Mallett, Cassie Hall, Madeline Ruvolo, Julene Paul, Ma’ayan Dembo, Jiarui Tao.

2019 Scholarship Recipient: Zakhary Mallett

A graduate student at the University of Southern California (USC) working towards a PhD in Philosophy with a concentration in Urban Planning and Development.

2019 Scholarship Winner: Cassie Hall

A 2020 graduate with a Masters in Urban Regional Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

2019 Scholarship Recipient: Madeline Ruvolo

A 2020 graduate with a Masters in Urban Regional Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

2019 Scholarship Recipient: Julene Paul

A 2020 graduate with a PhD in Urban Regional Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

2019 Scholarship Recipient: Ma'ayan Dembo

A graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) working towards a PhD in Philosophy with a concentration in Urban Planning and Development.

2019 Scholarship Recipient: Jiarui Tao

A 2020 graduate with a PhD in Transportation Science from the University of California, Irvine (UCI).

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2023 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Undergraduate Scholarships:

Rudie Paraiso - University of California, Los Angeles - Transportation Engineering
Sean Choi - University of California, Los Angeles - Civil Engineering
Samuel Kala - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona - Civil Engineering
Brennan Orman - University of California, Los Angeles - Civil and Environmental Engineering

Graduate Scholarships:

Claire Park - University of Southern California - Master’s Program, Urban and Regional Planning
Robert Binder - University of Southern California - Master’s Program, Urban and Regional Planning
Daniel Uyematsu - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona - Civil Engineering
Siwei Hu - University of California, Irvine - Civil and Environmental Engineering

RASC Scholarships