Bill Perez Scholarship

About the Scholarship

The Bill Perez Labor Scholarship Award was created in 2023 through a partnership between the Inland Empire Labor Council and the Inland Empire Labor and Community Center. Its purpose is to recognize the achievements of UCR undergraduate students that embody the spirit of William “Bill” Perez, who served the labor movement and working families in the Inland Empire for 47 years in various labor and public leadership roles. Throughout his career Bill Perez sought to uplift working families in our region regardless of the union they represented, mentored anyone that wanted to understand the rich history of organizing in the Inland Empire, and tirelessly advocated for the future that we want our region to have. All UCR undergraduate students with a major in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), Public Policy, and/or those with a Labor Studies minor and a minimum 2.5 GPA are eligible to apply for this award. For 2025, three students who have demonstrated a commitment to labor studies, social justice, and community engagement will be awarded a $3,000 scholarship each.

Who is Bill Perez?

William J. “Bill” Perez was born and raised in Riverside, California. He grew up attending local public schools in Riverside County. Bill and his siblings were raised by their parents, father Joe Perez (deceased) and Virginia Perez (resides in Riverside); his father Joe Perez was a former IBEW Local 440 President and former Executive-Secretary/Business Manager of the Riverside and San Bernardino Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO. Bill married his wife, Terri over thirty years ago, they have two children, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and four amazing grandchildren – all residing in Riverside County.

A Union Electrician

Bill began his career in the Electrician Apprenticeship Program in 1975 and graduated as a Journeyman Electrician in 1979. In 1995, he became Business Manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 440, a position he held for 11 years. Throughout his career with IBEW Local 440, Bill has served in many positions, including Foreman, General Foreman, Estimator, Prevailing Wage Compliance Director, and Organizer. He also served as a former President of the California State Association of Electrical Workers and of the IBEW/NECA Statewide Joint Apprenticeship Committee.

A Leader in the Building Trades

In 2006, Bill was appointed Executive Secretary/Business Manager of the Riverside and San Bernardino Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO (IE BCTC). The IE BCTC represents more than 14,000 skilled craft workers across 28 construction local unions throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. In this role, Bill worked closely with K-12 school districts and community colleges to adopt the MC3 (Multi-Craft Core Curriculum), expanding access to apprenticeship pathways and exposing community members—particularly those from marginalized communities—to careers in the building and construction trades. He also collaborated with community organizations, labor unions, and elected officials to develop and pass local policies that created good-paying jobs and strengthened workforce opportunities throughout the region. As the Executive Secretary/Business Manager for the IE BCTC, Bill served as a former board member of the State of California Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO; a former board member of the Inland Empire Labor Council, AFL-CIO; a past labor representative for the Riverside County Community Action Commission; and a past board member of the Riverside County Workforce Investment Board.

After 47 years of dedicated service to the Inland Empire labor movement, Bill retired on July 29, 2022. We honor his dedication to uplifting working families throughout the region—regardless of union affiliation—and his willingness to mentor others who seek to understand the rich history of organizing in the Inland Empire and to advocate for the future our region deserves.

Who is Eligible for the Scholarship?

All undergraduate UCR students with a minimum GPA of 2.5 in CHASS and Public Policy, or who are a Labor Studies Minor are eligible to apply for the scholarship.

Bill Perez Scholarship 2026

The application period for the Bill Perez 2026 Scholarship will open Monday, February 9th and close on Monday, April 6th at 11:59 PM. Please see below for buttons linking to the application portal and the application guide. We recommend that you review the application guide before opening the application portal. Please join the IELCC student mailing list to be notified about future opportunities.

Application Guide

Application will open Feb. 9th

Bill Perez Scholars

2025

2025
	Eren Whitfield Eren Whitfield is a Psychology major, minoring in Labor Studies, who will graduate in Spring 2025. He has worked as a Communications Assistant for the Inland Empire Labor and Community Center (IELCC) since Fall 2023. Additionally, he has served as an executive board member in the UC Riverside chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) for over 2 years. His positions have enabled him to gain hands-on experience in labor and community organizing, political education, political advocacy, and community outreach. Driven by a passion for uplifting marginalized voices and ensuring equal opportunities for all people, he has utilized his experiences to solve complex problems and advocate for real change within his community. This summer, he will be working with the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center (PEOC) through the UC Labor Summer Program to gain further experience in fighting against systemic injustice. His journey in advocating for social and economic justice will continue in the Fall, when he plans to begin a two-year graduate program to earn his Master of Social Welfare at UCLA.
	Amisha Dohgra Amisha Dohgra is a Business Economics major and plans to graduate in June 2025. She first recognized the importance of labor organizing during her childhood, when her parents, who were working-class immigrants, had limited protections in the workplace. Her interest in the labor movement is rooted in a deep commitment to economic justice and improving working conditions. She has served as a Labor Policy Intern with UC-AFT (University Council-American Federation of Teachers), where she supported UC Riverside faculty union campaigns through outreach, bargaining, and survey mobilization. She also interned with the Inland Empire Labor Institute, where she contributed through social media outreach and participated in labor council meetings. As a 2025 Labor Summer fellow with SEIU 721, she is continuing her work through community engagement in support of union and worker-led campaigns. On campus, Amisha is a SAVE (Sexual Assault Violence Educator) peer mentor, working in collaboration with UC Riverside’s CARE office to lead educational programming focused on ending sexual violence on campus. She hopes to continue working at the intersection of labor, advocacy, and public policy after graduation
	Paolina Santoscoy Paolina Santoscoy is a Political Science major with a History minor, graduating in Spring 2025. As a first-generation student from a working-class immigrant family, her passion for labor and environmental justice is deeply grounded in lived experiences. In 2024, she served as a Labor Summer Fellow with The People’s Collective for Environmental Justice, conducting research on air pollution in the Inland Empire by interviewing fleet drivers to advocate for policies that will improve air quality in the I.E. At UCR, she served with dedication as ASUCR Labor Relations Director, Resident Advisor, and student assistant in the School of Business roles through which she built community, and advocated for students’ needs to insure their success.

2025

Eren Whitfield

Eren Whitfield is a Psychology major, minoring in Labor Studies, who will graduate in Spring 2025. He has worked as a Communications Assistant for the Inland Empire Labor and Community Center (IELCC) since Fall 2023. Additionally, he has served as an executive board member in the UC Riverside chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) for over 2 years. His positions have enabled him to gain hands-on experience in labor and community organizing, political education, political advocacy, and community outreach. Driven by a passion for uplifting marginalized voices and ensuring equal opportunities for all people, he has utilized his experiences to solve complex problems and advocate for real change within his community. This summer, he will be working with the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center (PEOC) through the UC Labor Summer Program to gain further experience in fighting against systemic injustice. His journey in advocating for social and economic justice will continue in the Fall, when he plans to begin a two-year graduate program to earn his Master of Social Welfare at UCLA.

Amisha Dohgra

Amisha Dohgra is a Business Economics major and plans to graduate in June 2025. She first recognized the importance of labor organizing during her childhood, when her parents, who were working-class immigrants, had limited protections in the workplace. Her interest in the labor movement is rooted in a deep commitment to economic justice and improving working conditions.

She has served as a Labor Policy Intern with UC-AFT (University Council-American Federation of Teachers), where she supported UC Riverside faculty union campaigns through outreach, bargaining, and survey mobilization.

She also interned with the Inland Empire Labor Institute, where she contributed through social media outreach and participated in labor council meetings. As a 2025 Labor Summer fellow with SEIU 721, she is continuing her work through community engagement in support of union and worker-led campaigns.

On campus, Amisha is a SAVE (Sexual Assault Violence Educator) peer mentor, working in collaboration with UC Riverside’s CARE office to lead educational programming focused on ending sexual violence on campus. She hopes to continue working at the intersection of labor, advocacy, and public policy after graduation

Paolina Santoscoy

Paolina Santoscoy is a Political Science major with a History minor, graduating in Spring 2025. As a first-generation student from a working-class immigrant family, her passion for labor and environmental justice is deeply grounded in lived experiences. In 2024, she served as a Labor Summer Fellow with The People’s Collective for Environmental Justice, conducting research on air pollution in the Inland Empire by interviewing fleet drivers to advocate for policies that will improve air quality in the I.E. At UCR, she served with dedication as ASUCR Labor Relations Director, Resident Advisor, and student assistant in the School of Business roles through which she built community, and advocated for students’ needs to insure their success.

2024

2024
	David Flores David Flores is a Sociology major who plans to graduate in the summer of 2024. He first learned about the importance of unions through his mother, an active member of United Steelworkers Local 7600 which represents health care workers at Kaiser Permanente. As an active member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Young-DSA, he actively supported labor struggles throughout Southern California, including those of striking workers affiliated with various unions, including the Teamsters, the UAW, the CFA, SAG-AFTRA, and the WGA. He has also participated in actions organized by the IE Amazon Workers United as well as Students Against Starbucks, which supports the organizing efforts of Starbucks Workers United.
	Jeddy Jacinto-Molina Jeddy Jacinto-Molina is a Political Science major who will graduate in Spring 2024. She is a student activist who has supported various social movement campaigns on and off campus, including those related to the rights of immigrants, sexual assault survivors, workers, street vendors, and Palestinians. As a Labor Summer fellow in 2023, she worked with UFCW 1167 to engage in outreach among retail workers and provide support for striking workers. In 2023-2024, she worked as a student assistant for the IE Labor and Community Center. In that position, she engaged in student and community outreach and communications work to keep others informed of the activities of the IELCC and related labor and community events, protests, strikes, and educational opportunities.
	Fanelly Millan Fanelly Millan is a Media and Cultural Studies major who plans to minor in Labor Studies and graduate in the Fall of 2025. She is currently employed as the Inland Empire organizer for the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center (PEOC). In that role, she has helped to organize day laborers in the city of San Bernardino and helped to engage workers and community members in multiple policy campaigns for the rights of immigrants and workers at the local, state, and federal levels. She also previously worked as a volunteer for PEOC’s DACA Clinic, assisting immigrants with DACA applications and renewals. In addition, she has helped to promote a healthy lifestyle by leading Pomona Valley Runners, a community running group that organizes community events, including an annual 5K/10K running event in Pomona.

2024

David Flores

David Flores is a Sociology major who plans to graduate in the summer of 2024. He first learned about the importance of unions through his mother, an active member of United Steelworkers Local 7600 which represents health care workers at Kaiser Permanente. As an active member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Young-DSA, he actively supported labor struggles throughout Southern California, including those of striking workers affiliated with various unions, including the Teamsters, the UAW, the CFA, SAG-AFTRA, and the WGA. He has also participated in actions organized by the IE Amazon Workers United as well as Students Against Starbucks, which supports the organizing efforts of Starbucks Workers United.

Jeddy Jacinto-Molina

Jeddy Jacinto-Molina is a Political Science major who will graduate in Spring 2024. She is a student activist who has supported various social movement campaigns on and off campus, including those related to the rights of immigrants, sexual assault survivors, workers, street vendors, and Palestinians. As a Labor Summer fellow in 2023, she worked with UFCW 1167 to engage in outreach among retail workers and provide support for striking workers. In 2023-2024, she worked as a student assistant for the IE Labor and Community Center. In that position, she engaged in student and community outreach and communications work to keep others informed of the activities of the IELCC and related labor and community events, protests, strikes, and educational opportunities.

Fanelly Millan

Fanelly Millan is a Media and Cultural Studies major who plans to minor in Labor Studies and graduate in the Fall of 2025. She is currently employed as the Inland Empire organizer for the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center (PEOC). In that role, she has helped to organize day laborers in the city of San Bernardino and helped to engage workers and community members in multiple policy campaigns for the rights of immigrants and workers at the local, state, and federal levels. She also previously worked as a volunteer for PEOC’s DACA Clinic, assisting immigrants with DACA applications and renewals. In addition, she has helped to promote a healthy lifestyle by leading Pomona Valley Runners, a community running group that organizes community events, including an annual 5K/10K running event in Pomona.