This month, we sat down with Bill and Frances Keys over Zoom to discuss their recent donation of their CARES Act stimulus checks and why they continue to support Long Beach City College.

Knowing the impact that COVID-19 has had on many current Vikings, Bill and Frances decided to contribute the latest round of stimulus funding towards the Michael Keys Memorial Scholarship, named in memory of their late son, who was also an alumnus.

“I don’t like to put blame into the US government, but obviously they made an error,” said Frances. “Bill and I would enjoy having this, but we’re not needy, so we thought we had better correct their error.”

“Frances has a good sense of humor,” noted Bill as the two shared a laugh.

The Keys have roots at Long Beach City College stretching back over 70 years. Bill graduated in 1950, the same year his mother graduated from LBCC, and Frances followed up with an Associates Degree of her own in 1952. In 1963, Bill returned to the college, teaching computer science for 46 years until retiring in 2006. Their children have all been Vikings, and Frances still serves on the Senior Studies Associates board for the College’s Lifetime Learning Center. With so much history at the College, it’s easy to understand why the two would choose to donate their stimulus checks to support current students.

“LBCC is a great school, with great faculty and the students are wonderful,” Bill explained.

“For some students, receiving a scholarship really encourages them to continue on,” added Frances, expressing her gratitude for being positioned to help students.

We encourage you to make a gift to support students as they continue to navigate unprecedented times. Every gift helps make the dream of higher education a reality for our students.