The David Breaux Memorial Scholarship has been established to continue his legacy of compassion in Yolo County.

The scholarship will be open to high school seniors and first-year college students who demonstrate financial need, are graduating from a Yolo County high school, are pursuing higher education, and demonstrate a commitment to social justice and compassionate service. 

David Breaux was a beloved Davis fixture, often called the “Compassion Guy” because of the more than ten years he spent gathering definitions for the word “compassion” in Davis—and for his legacy of championing the concept in our community. 

“David’s life mission was to spread awareness of compassion,” Breaux’s sister Maria said in a press release about the scholarship. “This scholarship continues this goal, and allows a young person to help cultivate, in their own ways, a world where everyone treats each other with kindness, empathy, and unconditional love.”

The scholarship is a fund at the Yolo Community Foundation, which is an affiliate of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.

The Yolo County Foundation says the founding donation came from a local couple, both retired professors.

“David was such a gentle man, and his dedication to exploring the nature of compassion was inspiring,” the couple said. “We wanted to see his curiosity, intelligence, and commitment to compassion live on.” 

Donors may contribute to the scholarship at sacregcf.org/davidbreaux. Checks can be made to “David Breaux Memorial Scholarship” and mailed to the Yolo Community Foundation at P.O. Box 1264 Woodland, CA 95776.

The first round of this annual scholarship will open to applicants in December 2023; visit yolocf.org/scholarships this fall for details.