Scholarship Recipients

Anne Marie Smith
Austin
Travis High School
University of Texas at Dallas
Aisha grew up in Austin going to school during the day and watching her baby sister at night while her mother worked. Her dream is to be able to develop patents for her own electrical inventions. She will be attending the University of Texas at Dallas where she will be pursuing Electrical Engineering.

Gabriela Gonzales-Reyes
Austin
Travis High School
University of Texas at Austin
Gabriela is a compassionate first generation college student born to immigrant parents. She overcame navigating being pulled between two cultures which has fueled her desire to give back to the community by becoming a dual language teacher. She will be attending University of Texas at Austin where she will be pursuing a degree in Psychology.

Abigail Moise
Boston
Brockton High School
Rutgers University
Abigail is a first-generation child of a single mother who faced many challenges growing up. Aside from focusing on her own success, Abigail quickly developed a sense of responsibility to her family and to her community. She will be attending Rutgers University.

Maryam Abbaz
Boston
Brockton High School
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Maryam endured significant hardships growing up in an unhealthy living environment, forcing her to become independent. She has demonstrated great resilience and courage as she took control of her life. Maryam hopes to serve as an advocate for others who experienced similar hardships, and make a positive impact on her community. She will be attending the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Ellysia Vega
Denver
Jefferson Senior High School
After facing difficult loss in her life at a young age, Ellysia used this as motivation to overcome whatever obstacles life would continue to throw her way. She would like to pursue a career in Child Psychology.

Manuel Ortiz
Denver
North Senior High School
New Mexico Highlands University
Growing up, Manuel has overcome great adversity and has faced many obstacles along the way. He used this energy as motivation to move forward and excel in everything he does. He will be attending New Mexico Highlands University.

Jaimie Gomez
Los Angeles
Garfield High School
University of California, Santa Barbara
With unfortunate obstacles in her life, Jaimie had to undertake a multitude of additional responsibilities, while still balancing her high school education. She will be attending University of California, Santa Barbara where she will be majoring in Psychology and Brain Science, and minoring in Sociology.

Nicole Acevedo
Los Angeles
Garfield High School
University of California, Merced
Nicole was raised in a single-parent household, along with another sibling. With this, and dealing through other hardships throughout school, Nicole has been able to overcome and achieve. She will be attending the University of California, Merced and wants to enter the career field of dermatology.

Iqra Awow
Portland
McDaniel High School
Portland State University
The oldest of seven children, Iqra has shared the burden of helping raise siblings from a young age. With this pressure, she was able to use it as motivation and push forward in everything she has done. She will be attending Portland State University and plans to go into the career field of therapy.

Lindell Betts
Portland
Roosevelt High School
Lewis & Clark College
Lindell grew up in a single-parent household, along with two other younger siblings. He had faced hardships that made it difficult during school. With this, he was able to use it as motivation and continue to push forward. He will be attending Lewis & Clark College and plans to pursue a path in special education.

Ruweyda Mohamed
San Diego
Crawford High School
San Diego State University
Overcoming hardship and suffering loss, Ruweyda has become passionate about continuing her education and wants to become a Physician Student to help her home country, Somalia. She will be attending San Diego State University this coming fall.

Safa Aw-Muhamed
San Diego
Crawford High School
Grossmont College
Safa is a first generation Somali-American student. Growing up in a household with financial instability and other difficulties, Safa learned a great work ethic and took on many responsibilities at a young age. He will be attending Grossmont College in the fall and wants to pursue a career in the cyber security field, specifically for NASA.

Heidy Bamaca Pérez
San Francisco
Thurgood Marshall High School
San Francisco State University
Heidy is from Guatemala and was raised in a family of nine. With obstacles throughout her childhood, she has grown a passion for healthcare. She will be attending City College of San Francisco where she will achieve her educational goals.

Kristel Mantilla Ulloa
San Francisco
Mission High School
University of California, Berkeley
Kristel is from Peru and has faced many educational and work challenges growing up. She will be attending University of California, Berkley this coming fall to pursue a degree in psychology and eventually an immigration attorney.

Gabriel Morris
Seattle
Cleveland High School
Raised in a single-parent household with many siblings and facing many struggles, Gabriel has used this as motivation to overcome and pursue a higher education. He plans to pursue a career in Kinesiology.

Vandhana Permal
Seattle
Rainier Beach High School
Seattle Central College
Born in Fiji and facing many financial struggles growing up, Vandhana  has faced and overcome multiple challenges. She will be attending Seattle Central College this coming fall to further her education goals.

Esther Ishimwe
Austin
Early College Travis High School
University of Texas at Austin
Esther is an immigrant student from Rwanda who came to the U.S. in 2019. Due to a new environment and language barrier, she faced many hardships in her education. She plans to pursue nursing at University of Texas at Austin.

Eberardo Ramirez Trejo
Austin
Northeast Early College High School
University of Texas at San Antonio
Eberardo was raised in a single-parent household, alongside three siblings. With the instability of having to move around house to house and being homeless growing up, Eberardo persevered through these problems. He will be the first in his family to attend college, at University of Texas at San Antonio.

Nikita Clark
Boston
Brighton High School
Northeastern University
Immigrating from Russia and without a father figure, Nikita had to find a way to support his family when arriving. He started a small business in order to do so, by assembling computers. Nikita hopes to pursue a degree in computer science at Northeastern University and help children in DCF custody.

Amal Salah
Boston
Brighton High School
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
Amal and her family moved to the U.S. in response to the Somali Civil War. Here, she faced even greater hardships involving her best friend. She continues to overcome these hardships and set goals to conquer, such as attending University of Massachusetts to study medicine and building a free clinic in Somalia.

Jayden Ortiz
Denver
Jefferson Senior High School
Red Rocks Community College
After seeking a fresh start from an unhealthy environment in California, Jayden and his mother decided to move to Colorado. In high school, Jayden suffered from injuries that set him back physically and socially. He pushed himself through it all and will be attending Red Rocks Community College to receive his AutoCAD certification.

Viviana Torres
Denver
West High School
University of Denver
After growing up in a rugged living environment with school the last thing on her mind, Viviana overcame the challenges she faced and worked hard both inside and outside of school. She will be attending University of Denver for a business degree, followed by Emily Griffith Technical College for an Esthetician certificate.

Joanna Juarez Ruiz
Los Angeles
Garfield High School
California State University, Los Angeles
As a first generation immigrant, Joanna has faced multiple challenges and hardships to overcome. She was forced to grow a strong character to get past these obstacles. Joanna will be attending California State University, Los Angeles and plans to help other first generation students succeed.

Jocelyn Martinez
Los Angeles
Manual Arts High School
University of California, San Diego
Growing up in a low-income area with a family of five, Jocelyn worked hard to overcome any challenges that she faced. She focused hard in school and was even involved with extracurricular activities. She intends to pursue a degree in neurobiology at University of California, San Diego.

Arely Moreno-Ibarra
Portland
Roosevelt High School
University of Oregon
Arely experience much instability and turbulence growing up. She attended schools between Mexico and Portland throughout while becoming a great speaker and writer in a second language, English. She will be attending University of Oregon to pursue a degree in education.

Zawadi Masoka
Portland
Madison High School
Portland Community College
Zawadi was born and raised in an environment that consisted of unhealthy living conditions that she overcame. She took on responsibilities at a young age to help support her family. She plans to attend Portland Community College and pursue nursing.

Precious Letchaw
San Diego
Lincoln High School
San Diego State University
Growing up in an unstable living environment, moving around multiple times, Precious knew she wanted to overcome this. She has done so by many things, including over 600 hours of community service. Precious will attend San Diego State University.

Kobe Banks
San Diego
Lincoln High School
University of California, Los Angeles
After losing important figures in his life and facing other hardships at a young age, Kobe overcame the adversity he had endured. He has a passion to help his communities and create change. Kobe will attend University of California, Los Angeles.

Ke’Mora Tanksley
San Francisco
Balboa High School
City College of San Francisco
Ke’Mora faced challenges growing up and has seeked to make change because of them. She has already made that step by joining multiple extracurricular activities in high school, such as being president of the Black Student Union. Ke’Mora will be attending the City College of San Francisco to further her education.

Kelvin Mejia De Paz
San Francisco
Mission High School
San Francisco State University
Kelvin grew up in Guatemala working with his father as a farmer. He always dreamed of more opportunities and better work, so he came to the U.S. to seek it. As an immigrant, Kelvin faced obstacles along the way, but managed to overcome them. He will be attending San Francisco State University to gain more knowledge in order to better his experiences and opportunities.

Eliana Martin
Seattle
Cleveland High School
Western Washington University
Eliana has fought to become her own independent person, and with not much familial support. She has found a way to take that and turn it into motivation. Eliana plans to attend Western Washington University and pursue a degree in art. 

Jennifer Aguilar-Bamaca
Seattle
Chief Sealth High School
Seattle University
Jennifer is the first person in her family to graduate from high school and attend college. As a first generation, she struggled throughout the years to find guidance. She will be attending Seattle University to continue this accomplishment.

Joshua Osezua
Austin
Northeast High School
University of Texas at San Antonio
Joshua grew up in Nigeria where he faced many obstacles for an education, including limited availability of electricity and physical abuse by teachers in school. After persevering and moving to the U.S., he now plans to study psychology at The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Kevin Ortiz-Perez
Austin
Travis High School
Texas State University
Kevin was raised by a single mother, alongside three siblings, and will be first in his family to attend college. Kevin used to work with his dad and gained valuable insight into the construction industry which inspired him to enroll in the Construction Science and Management program at Texas State University.

Anne St Cyr
Boston
Brockton High School
La Salle University
Anne lived in Haiti during the 2010 earthquake where her grandmother was trapped under debris and she had to get help. This experience inspired her to work in the medical field so she is studying nursing and works in a nursing home. Anne will continue her studies at Barry University.

Giovanni Browne
Boston
Brockton High School
Central Connecticut State University
Giovanni grew up in a single-parent household and worked full-time. His football coach, who is also a judge, acted as his mentor and influenced his decision to study Criminology at Sacred Heart University and become a lawyer so he can help defend families affected by police brutality.

Jasmine Castro
Denver
West High School
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Jasmine has faced hardships but her family has always been of utmost importance. She will be attending Metropolitan State University of Denver and will be majoring in Nursing so she can help support her family and care for others.

Jorge Meraz
Denver
Jefferson Senior High School
Colorado State University
Jorge is proud of his Hispanic heritage, and is determined to prove that the work ethic his parents instilled in him will allow him to be successful. Jorge will be joining his brother at Colorado State University, Fort Collins to study Construction Management. Together, they plan to assist their father in the family business.

Raven Jones
Los Angeles
Manual Arts High School
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
Despite a learning disability, Raven studied hard and developed her self confidence and resilience through extracurricular activities and leadership roles in school to reach her goals. She’ll be attending Los Angeles Trade Technical College and then plans to transfer and study Psychology or Public Health.

Tyra Carey
Los Angeles
Thomas Jefferson Senior High School
Columbia College Chicago
Tyra faced instability and homelessness in childhood but found respite in art. She expressed herself with drawings and found joy in animation. She will be the first in her family to attend college and will be going to Columbia College Chicago to pursue a career in animation.

Sabrin Aden
Portland
Roosevelt High School
Oregon State University
Sabrin’s family lived in poverty but she emerged motivated to succeed. She is active in school organizations and wants to study Biology at Oregon State University to become a nurse practitioner. Sabin hopes to establish a non-profit medical assistance organization one day.

Savana Semallie
Portland
Madison High School
Portland State University
Savana is proud of her Native American and American Samoa heritage and shares her culture with everyone. She is committed to serving her community and nation and intends to double major in Indigenous Studies and Psychology or History and become an educator.

Ketia Mukenge
San Diego
Lincoln High School
San Diego City College
Ketia grew up in Congo where she experienced community violence and educational instability due to a local prison outbreak. Ketia was sent to live with her aunt but struggled learning new languages as she moved from Zimbabwe to the US. Focused on her future, she is determined to overcome any new obstacle to pursue her education.

Jimmy Thon
San Diego
Crawford High School
San Diego State University
Jimmy grew up fearful of being bullied because he was hard of hearing but later found support in his community through a local college prep program. Having peers that normalized being deaf or hard of hearing motivated him to achieve his dreams at San Diego State University where he hopes to continue to help others in the deaf or hard of hearing community.

Danna Romero
San Francisco
Thurgood Marshall High School
San Francisco State
Danna is the oldest child and has had to help care for her younger siblings. Growing up, Danna witnessed great injustices and these experiences fueled her passion of studying criminal justice at Sacramento State. She hopes to become a crime scene investigator and would like to give back to her community in the future.

Jayden Johnson
San Francisco
Thurgood Marshall High School>
California State University -  Monterey Bay
Jayden grew up in a single parent household and worked several jobs throughout school to help support his family. He grew up with a lot of pets and has combined his love of animals and swimming and will be  studying Marine Biology at the University of Oregon.

Luis Castro
Seattle
Chief Sealth High School
Pitzer College
As the oldest of seven siblings, Luis strives to be a positive role model and dreams of starting his own non-profit. Luis is a Bank of America student leader, volunteers for the library, and is a member of an environmental action club. He will be attending Pitzer College majoring in Business Admin or Economics.

Tuyet-Nhi Vo
Seattle
Rainier Beach High School
Western Washington University
Tuyet-Nhi is a Running Start student, works two part-time jobs, and stays actively involved in her community by volunteering for two Seattle nonprofits. She will be going to Western Washington University majoring in Public Health and hopes to further her philanthropic efforts.

Zoe Steed
Austin
Eastside Memorial High School
University of Houston - Downtown
Zoe faced many challenges during her time at Eastside Memorial High School, including financial instability, homelessness, and constant moving to new schools and cities. Zoe used art as an escape and has decided to pursue her dream of attending University of Houston - Downtown to become an art teacher in hopes that she can make a difference in her future student’s lives.

Axel Sanchez Moreno
Austin
Raegan High School
Texas State University
Axel was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age and found school to be very challenging. When Axel was in his junior year at Raegan High School, he realized that he wanted to study math both in the classroom and in the workforce. He looks forward to furthering his studies in math and hopes to attend Texas State University.

Joshua Curtiss
Boston
Urban Sciences Academy
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Joshua dropped out of high school during his Junior year but returned as a transfer student when he realized his long-term goals were dependent on an education. He got involved in theatre and created a support network that held him accountable. He successfully graduated and is now pursuing the creative arts and hopes to serve as an inspiration for others.

Taylor Freeborn
Boston
Brockton High School
Regis College
Taylor worked full time during high school to provide for her family, after losing her father to addiction. Despite being a victim of bullying, she maintained a positive mindset with a passion for helping others. Taylor is pursuing nursing to support future families battling addiction, and partakes in school sponsored service and mission trips so she can give back.

Melissa Perez Luna
Denver
Jefferson Senior High School
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Melissa is unwavering in her determination to not let her DACA status define her. She focuses on her studies and her family but is especially inspired by her brother that was born with a genetic disorder. His courage and optimism fuels her to work harder toward her dream to study in the medical field, in hopes of helping her family and community.

Cesar Galindo
Denver
North Senior High School
Colorado State University
Cesar grew up in Honduras and became aware of the need for environmental initiatives early on. He later moved to Colorado where he struggled with homelessness, furthering his recognition of the importance of a college education to achieve his goal to study ecosystem sustainability. He hopes to bring greater awareness by educating communities of the importance of sustainable living.

Meidy Chirinos Matute
Los Angeles
Manual Arts High School
Santa Monica College
Meidy immigrated from Honduras with her father and sister but was left to reside with her aunt where she works to pay for costs associated to her schooling. She was inspired to become a surgeon by her uncle that abruptly passed away when they were unable to operate in time. She hopes to return to Honduras to treat the injured.

Dilan Robles
Los Angeles
Thomas Jefferson Senior High School
University of California, Davis
Dilan was born in the United States, but when he was a child, his family returned to Mexico. Dilan possesses a strong work ethic, evidenced by his commitment to his academic studies. His ultimate goal is to become a civil engineer and he is currently an intern with Gensler, an integrated architecture, planning, and consulting firm in Los Angeles.

Fowzia Ibrahim
Portland
Madison High School
Portland State University
Fowzia initially immigrated with her family to Idaho but faced challenges associated with being “the only Muslim girl wearing a Hijab in the entire school.” She later moved to Oregon where she thrived, demonstrating remarkable leadership by co-founding a Muslim Student Association. Fowzia intends to study communications or political science and, eventually, to become an immigration lawyer.

Angela Zatarain
Portland
Madison High School
Linfield College
Angela left her family in Mexico and worked hard to excel in her classes while she struggled to earn money to support herself and her family. She participates in the Leadership Development Program at Madison High School to develop her public speaking skills which she hopes can help her work toward becoming a nurse and help people seeking medical care.

Kaltun Ahmed
San Diego
Crawford High School
San Diego City College
Kaltun lived in a refugee camp for six years but was able to relocate to San Diego in 2014. During that time, she recalls being sick often and not receiving any care, inspiring her to pursue nursing to help others. She participates in Faces for the Future at Rady Children’s Hospital which has further encouraged her to pursue this path in healthcare.

Kylen Dent
San Diego
Lincoln High School
Morehouse College
Kylen is a talented athlete and disciplined student that is motivated to create a stable financial future for himself and his family and to also further his philanthropic efforts. Kylen aspires to pursue a degree in medicine, focusing on neuroscience.

Lam Lau
San Francisco
Thurgood Marshall High School
University of California, Riverside
Lam came to the United States alone, leaving behind his mother to care for a father that has Alzheimer’s in Hong Kong. Though the new environment and culture were completely foreign to him, he turned his focus on schooling to improve his English and understanding of assignments and lectures. He strives to become a doctor to help those with Alzheimer’s.

Cherly Isaguirres
San Francisco
Mission High School
San Jose State University
Cherly’s journey to the United States was worrisome, as she feared the potential of being kidnapped as her mom did when she immigrated here. Upon arrival, Cherly was placed in foster care but was eventually able to reconcile with her mother. Now, having her mother’s support, she strives to make her proud by attending college and achieving the American dream.

Hailemikael Yirdaw
Seattle
Rainier Beach High School
University of Washington
Hailemikael was an orphan from Ethiopia but has managed to succeed in high school both academically and in cross country. He intends on being a positive example for his younger brothers to follow as he pursues his studies in biochemistry. He hopes to become a doctor, focusing his research on uncured diseases and discovering new medicines to help humanity.

Calvin Fung
Seattle
Cleveland High School
University of Washington, Seattle
Throughout high school, Calvin sought opportunities to prepare himself for college while taking care of his brother whose mental health had a significant impact on the family. The natural environment has always fascinated Calvin and created a safe haven for him to unplug, inspiring him to pursue a career in environmental science.

Lisa Ann Herrera
Austin
Eastside Memorial High School
Texas State University
After being appointed Ambassador for the Legacy of Giving organization, Lisa enjoyed working as a volunteer throughout high school. She enjoyed helping people and found it to be fulfilling. She also realized the value of a college education and is completing her studies at Texas State University to become a Social Worker. In the future she plans to come back to East Austin and start a non-profit organization to be of service to the less fortunate in her community.

Guillermo Jaimes
Austin
Reagan High School
Texas State University
Guillermo Jaimes was born in Austin, Texas to a very loving and caring family. His mom and dad are not from the United States. When his parents came over in 1994, being people that are not from here, it was very hard for them to start a new life right away. His parents went through a very hard and long struggle. During this struggle, they were not able to receive the right kind of education that would help them go even further in life, which is why Guillermo is committed to succeeding. He may not have graduated at the top 10% of his class, but he did use all four years of high school to take advantage of the Dual Credit classes offered to earn his Associate’s Degree, and was able to maintain his GPA. All the while working a part time job both his Junior and Senior year. His only goal in life is to make his parents proud of the man they are raising. It means the absolute world to him to know that when he furthers and completes his education, he will soon have the power to buy his parents whatever they would like or show them a world that they could not afford to see themselves. Guillermo is attending Texas State where is pursuing a Marketing Degree.

Carl Marcelin
Boston
Brockton High School
University of Masachusetts - Amherst
Carl Marcelin started a youth track team to help kids increase their self-esteem and confidence. Though his own confidence had been hurt when he struggled to stand out on his own high school track team, Carl learned by coaching the youth track team that he didn’t have to be a strong athlete to be a strong leader. Carl was born in Haiti, though his father immigrated to the United States before Carl was born, leaving Carl, his mom, and his sister to live on their own. After Carl’s sister passed away, Carl and his mother immigrated to the United States to begin a new life. Carl does not want his parents’ hard work to be for nothing, so he is attending University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he is studying kinesiology on a pre-med track while working part-time to help pay for his education.

Leslie Vasquez
Boston
Brighton High School
Regis College
Leslie Vasquez has always prioritized helping others and giving back to her community. In addition to logging many volunteer hours each month, last Thanksgiving, Leslie walked around downtown Boston handing out hats and scarfs to those without shelter for the holiday. Leslie is a first-generation American - her parents immigrated to the United States when they were teenagers to work at a food production factory. Leslie understands the sacrifices her parents made so that she could live in the United States and this understanding has instilled in her a drive to succeed, even if it means working hard when she is tired and stressed. Leslie is attending Regis College, where is studying biology. She would like to eventually become a nurse so that she can continue to help people.

Reyna Medrano
Denver
Jefferson Senior High School
Community College Of Denver
Faced with family strife, Reyna has persevered through several challenges. Through the challenges, Reyna has not only been a top performer in her class, but she has also been there for her mother and has helped care for her brother who has cerebral palsy. With her experience, Reyna has a strong desire to enter the medical field so that she can give back to her community and work with special needs families. She is excited to begin her journey and is attending Community College of Denver.

Nancy Munoz Saldivar
Denver
Jefferson Senior High School
Metropolitan State University
Nancy is driven and determined to succeed. Born in Mexico, her family moved to the United States to achieve the American Dream. Working hard, Nancy is at the top of her class, while volunteering with children and holding down a job. With the support of her parents, Nancy will be the first in her family to attend college. She is determined to prove that DACA students can succeed. She is attending Metropolitan State University and pursuing a nursing degree.

Jennifer Diaz
Los Angeles
Manual Arts High School
Cal State University - Northridge
Jennifer comes from a single-parent household where her mother (who only has a sixth grade education) works hard to provide for their family including her sister with special needs. She has seen first hand how difficult this has been, which has strengthened her commitment to obtaining an education. Having a sister with a disability has inspired her to advocate for an inclusive environment for people with disabilities and influenced her decision to major in Sociology with plans to work with people with disabilities. Jennifer is currently attending attend Cal State Northridge.

Karina Espana
Los Angeles
Thomas Jefferson Senior High School
Cal State University - Dominguez Hills
Karina grew up in Guatemala with her 14 siblings before she was forced to move to the US to help provide for her family. Her family has chosen to prioritize work and rely on marriage to support themselves while Karina has braved a path as the 1st in her family to further her education with little support. Her motivation and commitment to succeed has allowed her to persevere knowing that focusing on education will give her a better life in the long run. Karina aspires to be a computer programmer and is attending Cal State Dominguez Hills in the Fall majoring in Computer Science.

Hanad Hassan
Portland
Madison High School
Northland College
Without knowing any English, Hanad left his home country of Somalia when he was 14 years old to come to America. His father stayed in Somalia to support the family, while his mother worked in Alaska to provide the same support. Hanad lived with his Grandma throughout high school where he worked full time to contribute to his family. He worked hard to learn English and eventually built the skills it would take to gain admission to Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he is studying engineering. He plans at some point to take his skill set back to Somalia to help build the country's infrastructure.

Isaiah Siriois
Portland
Madison High School
University of Oregon
Isaiah will be the first in his family to attend college. Isaiah grew up battling the negative stereotypes that came along with being a young African-American male. He worked relentlessly through high school to be an important member of the football team, while also working part-time to help his family make ends meet. Isaiah is attending University of Oregon where he is studying Forensic Psychology in which he plans to eventually help members of his community battle through tough times.

Islam Ahmed
San Diego
Crawford High School
Harris-Stowe State University
Islam immigrated to the United States in search of a better life. When she first arrived, she struggled with her grades as she did not speak English well. Despite the struggles she faced upon arrival, she persevered and raised her GPA to achieve honors level. Her dream is to receive a degree in aviation and become a pilot. She believes life is a learning experience that gives us the ability to recognize our own strengths and weaknesses, and the lessons that we learn in life help us become better individuals.

Marco Tamez
San Diego
Crawford High School
San Diego State University
Marco was born and raised in Mexico until the age of nine when his family immigrated to the United States in search of a better life. When first arriving in the United States, he, like many immigrants struggled with acculturation but soon found support from classmates in his ESL classes. With this support system in place, Marco's confidence grew as he became an active member of Law Academy, the soccer team, as well as various other clubs. Marco will be the first in his family to graduate from college. This fall Marco began attending San Diego State University where he is studying business and playing soccer.

Yancy Cruz
San Francisco
Mission High School
University of California - Berkeley
Yancy is an incredibly dedicated individual and shows great strength in character. As a child, she grew up facing dangerous conditions and poverty in El Salvador. Her hardships did not stop after her mother sent her to the United States in search of a better life. After her father was killed by gangs back in her home country, she received toxic treatment from her family in the US. Despite of all this, Yancy continued to earn a 4.0 GPA and is now attending the University of California, Berkeley. Her goal in life is to become an immigration attorney so that she can use the learnings from her experiences to help newly arriving immigrants. Her resilience and positive attitude will help and inspire others for years to come.

Marvin Matamaros
San Francisco
Mission High School
University of California - Berkeley
Marvin was born in Honduras, where he and his family struggled with extreme poverty. In addition, Marvin was subject to homophobic and derogatory treatment growing up as a queer individual. Marvin and his sister began their long and difficult journey to the United States during which, they were placed in a detention center. Marvin recalled days during this time when he and his sister did not have proper access to food, bathrooms or clothing. After finally moving the United States, he slowly grew into his own identity and now wants to give back to the undocumented Queer-Latino community upon graduation from college. Marvin is attending UC Berkeley.

Brandon Olivera
Seattle
Chief Sealth High School
University of Washington- Seattle
Brandon grew up with Mexican immigrant parents and is the oldest of his siblings. He has had to balance his education with working at his father's restaurant and helping his brothers with homework & housework. All this has helped craft him into a confident, young man who is attending University of Washington.

Yosef Yirdaw
Seattle
Rainier Beach High School
Eastern Washington University
Yosef has come a long way from Ethiopia and in his life. Growing up as an orphan, he not only survived the challenges, but also shined in school and in his sport, cross country. He is passionate about technology and the potential for positive changes. He is currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science in college at Eastern Washington University.

Ashley Castro
Austin
Eastside Memorial High School
Texas State University
Ashley will be the first of her family to not only graduate high school but also attend college in the fall. She has managed to maintain a very high grade point average despite facing adversity in her life. She has a passion for the health care, and is currently a Certified Nursing Assistant. She plans on attending Texas State majoring in Bio-Chemistry, which will help her in her greater goal of becoming a Pediatric Cardiologist. Ashley wants to give back and help children in the same way she was as a child with a heart condition.

Jhonn Polanco
Boston
Urban Science Academy
University of Massechusetts Boston
Jhonn Polanco established a non-profit organization named “ Change U “ when he was sixteen. It was not a success but he realized that he needed more education and experience to become an effective change agent in society. Jhonn lives with his father who emigrated from the Dominican Republic. In 2008, Jhonn ‘s father lost everything and the family experienced homelessness and Jhonn experienced the discrimination often connected with being an immigrant living in poverty. Jhonn lives in Dorchester but commutes by public transportation to West Roxbury where he attends the Urban Science Academy. He will attend U-Mass-Boston but he needs a part-time job to finance his education.

Hillari DeLeon Rodriguez
Denver
West Early College HS
Metropolitan State University
Hillari can be described by three words: natural born leader. Her radiant smile and bountiful optimism shows her ability to overcome an extremely difficult and troubling childhood. As president of her school’s National Honor Society and Student Council, she knows nothing will stop her from pursuing an Environmental Studies degree so she can fulfill her vision of providing resources to youth on keeping communities clean and environmentally friendly.

Stephanie Barrios
Los Angeles
James A. Garfield High School
California State University - Chico
Stephanie is a basketball manager who is very involved in her church and community. She currently attends Garfield High and will be a first generation college student. Her father was arrested and deported and her grandfather passed away shortly after; but she’s stayed strong and focused on her goals. She volunteers at the union rescue mission and aspires to be a nurse. Stephanie has been accepted to Chico State University.

Lanija Harris
Portland
David Douglas High School
Hawaii Pacific University
Lanija is a fighter. She is one of seven daughters to a mother dealing with a difficult marriage, eventually resulting in divorce and leaving she and her daughters homeless during high school. Her family had to sell their car to provide food for the family. Pushing through her tough childhood, Lanija hopes to become a public health physician so she can serve others in need.

Yessenia Malacara
San Diego
Crawford High School
California State University - Channel Islands
At the beginning of her junior year, Yesenia lost her father to a heart attack leaving behind her mother and siblings.  She was determined to stay strong for her mother and take on the financial burden their family faced.  Her grades significantly dropped due to the responsibilities of paying for household bills including cemetery and braces, as well as, grieving for the loss of her father.  Yesenia’s winning spirit motivated her to bring her grades up and she did so while contributing to community building initiatives. She will be attending California State University Channel Islands and pursing a degree in psychology.

Dakaria Heru
Seattle
Cleveland High School
Temple University
Dakaria is an avid learner and an entrepreneur. After being diagnosed with dyslexia in the fifth grade, Dakaria worked harder in school to overcome her anxiety from her condition. She loves being a part of her South Seattle community and opened a small business at the age of 10 to help support her Mother who is the sole provider for the family of four. She thrives in sports, student council, and wants to pursue business or communications in college.

Maria Barrios
San Francisco
Balboa High School
Holy Names University
Maria witnessed violence against her family during her childhood in Guatemala and then struggled to learn English after moving to the U.S., and yet never wavered from her positive outlook on life.  She is now excited to attend Holy Names University and become a social worker, in order to help members of her community succeed through hardships or violence as she has done. Her positive attitude and giving spirit will help her help others throughout her college career and beyond.

Honorable Mentions

Jenny Triminio
Austin
Travis High School
University of Texas at Austin

Stacy Fragile
Boston
Brockton High School
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

Rose Solis
Denver
North Senior High School
Metropolitan State University

Johnathan Navarrete Lopez
Los Angeles
Manual Arts High School
California State University - Northridge

Faiza Jama
Portland
Roosevelt High School
Fisk University

Shanique Simpson
San Diego
Morse High School
San Diego City College

Katherine Harris
San Francisco
Balboa High School
City College of San Francisco

Hafsa Muhumed
Seattle
Rainier Beach High School
Seattle Central College

Juan Mendieta
Austin
Reagan High School
Austin Community College
Juan was born to immigrant parents and came from humble beginnings. At the beginning of high-school, he lost his father to cancer-causing his grades to drop significantly. Juan battled back and improved his grades through his motivation to become a film director. His confidence in this dream is inspiring, and he has been accepted to many Junior Colleges in Texas.

Aline Correira
Boston
Brockton High School
Bridgewater State University
Aline first came to America in October 2011 without knowing English and overcame living in shelters as a youth. She taught herself English and overcame hardship by focusing on school and her career goals. She applied for an internship as a medical interpreter at a local hospital and thrived. She applied to our scholarship without support from anyone and plans on becoming a doctor and will attend Bridgewater State University.

Diana Rivera
Denver
Jefferson High School
Community College of Denver
Diana moved from Mexico at age 15 to escape drug cartel dangers and had to learn English while starting high school. Despite this, she still managed to maintain a respectable GPA. She is highly involved in the community, including serving the homeless through her church. She is planning to pursue nursing and will likely start school at Community College of Denver (CCD) and transfer to Metropolitan State University.

Michelle Diaz
Los Angeles
Manual Arts High School
University of California, Riverside
Growing up in a single-parent household, Michelle frequently took responsibility for taking care of her two sisters. The stress of family life took its toll on Michelle’s studies, but she eventually turned things around with support from a math teacher. She won election to Student Body President and champions issues such as SAT prep for disadvantaged students. She plans to attend the University of California Riverside.

Amada Diaz
Portland
David Douglas High School
Portland State University
Amada is the youngest of four, and before she started school, she dealt with the incarceration of her father. She was able to turn this adversity around, and it’s the help of counseling that helped Amada and inspired her to pursue Psychology and eventually masters in Counseling. Amada is determined to go to college and is currently working four days a week to help with expenses.

Noorhan Albayati
San Diego
Crawford High School
University of California, Irvine
Noorhan embodies the very essence of an Education First Scholar. Having arrived in this country a few years ago from Iraq, she exemplified characteristics of tremendous grit, unwavering determination throughout her journey, and a strong sense of community activism. We are proud to say she will attend the University of California – Irvine with hopes of becoming a Dentist.

Dimpal Alvarez
Seattle
Chief Sealth High School
Washington State University
Dimpal is a resilient and caring young woman. At home, she takes care of her two younger siblings. Her plans involve ideally returning to the community where she grew up and becoming a music teacher. Her teachers and mentors have been crucial to her success, and Dimpal hopes to one day become such mentor. In the fall, Dimpal is planning on attending the University of Washington.

Silvia Mejia Paz
San Francisco
Mission High School
San Francisco State University
Silvia grew up in a small Guatemalan village and at the age of 8 she convinced her parents to allow her to stop working to learn Spanish and at 14 she became a substitute nurse in her village. She moved to the U.S. at age 18 and while juggling two jobs she has remained focused on her studies. She’ll attend San Francisco State University this fall where she plans to study Biology.

Honorable Mentions

Diana Hurtado
Austin
Travis High School
University of Texas at Austin

Caina Damestoir
Boston
Brockton High School
Massasoit Community College

Tariaynna Johnson
Denver
North Senior High School
Community College of Denver

Paul Calderon
Los Angeles
Manual Arts High School
Los Angeles City College

Hibo Abtidon
Portland
David Douglas High School
University of Oregon

Elainey Fetene
San Diego
Morse High School
San Diego State University

Roxette Isidro
San Francisco
Mission High School
Sonoma State University

Vicki Dang
Seattle
Cleveland High School
Bellevue College

Ivy Tran
Austin
Eastside Memorial High School
Ivy is the daughter of parents who emigrated from Vietnam when she was very young. Since arriving in the United States, her parents have divorced, leaving Ivy’s mother responsible for the care of her and her siblings. At times, the family does not have enough resources to provide food, shelter, and amenities. Ivy wants to major in Environmental Studies at the University of Texas and become an environmental engineer so that she can provide for her family here in Austin. The Education First scholarship will go a long way toward supporting Ivy in reaching her dreams.

Rachel Hernandez
Denver
North High School
Rachel wants to change the cycle of living in poverty, leading by example – for her siblings, nieces, and nephews – by going to college. Born into a homeless family with alcoholism issues, she was soon placed in foster care and lived in the projects with her aunt for most of her childhood. She has been on her own since the age of 16, with the daily worry of providing food for herself, transportation to school and, sometimes, even a place to sleep. Rachel plans to attend Colorado State University and major in Social Work, with an emphasis on Criminal Justice. She hopes to use her degree and personal experience to help troubled kids turn their lives around.

Karla Hernandez
Los Angeles
Manual Arts Senior High
Karla was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of 13, and while it has been debilitating at times, she has not allowed it to take over her life. Karla’s mother suffers from kidney failure and, more recently, diabetes. After her father left when Karla was two, she and her mother have struggled to get by on welfare and food stamps. Seeing her mother win her battle every day has given Karla the strength and motivation to continue with her fight and win. She desires to become a pediatric rheumatologist, able to understand her patients’ pain on a personal level. She also wants to be a role model to kids dealing with chronic illness, to let them know that a disease does not necessarily mean disability.

Kaylee Hendrix
Portland
David Douglas High School
Kaylee Hendrix had her first full-time job at 16, while at the same time going to school. Also, she not only had to take care of three siblings but also her mother, who had been diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder. Kaylee has taken on the financial burden for her household, as it is a single-parent home. Despite all this, Kaylee maintained stellar grades and will be attending Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida this fall.

David Oguns
San Diego
Crawford High School
David Oguns turns challenges into opportunity. His family migrated from West Africa when he was six years old. Since then David has grown into an energetic, focused, and inspirational young man. He withstood a challenging upbringing and transition into the US by becoming an accomplished multi-sport athlete. He aspires to earn a college degree in Kinesiology, continuing his personal mission to provide care for those in need. David plans to serve not only his community but also his country, by joining the Marines or Army during his collegiate career. David is another example of the quality students Education First continues to support.

Marley Dong
San Francisco
Mission High School
Marley is quiet and polite, but a determined warrior. He grew up in a small village in Nepal, with his mother and grandparents. An average day was spent working on the farm and with an open fire, which required great care. Since leaving Nepal six years ago, Marley has gone from being an English-learner in seventh grade to taking AP classes in high school. He will be attending Sacramento State in the fall, becoming the first in his family to ever complete high school and attend a four-year university. Marley is still exploring his major, and he is considering Environmental Sciences. His passion is to proudly serve as a fire fighter, driven by his early exposure to open fires as a child in Nepal.

Hana Muse
Seattle
Chief Sealth International High School
Hana is a fighter. She is the eldest of five siblings from a family who emigrated from Africa when she was very young. At age 13, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and last year she lost her mother to cancer and has been raised by her grandmother, who doesn’t speak English. It was these adversities that have inspired Hana to pursue Biology as her major when she enrolls at the South Seattle Community, in Seattle, this fall. Hana not only wants to be a role model and leader to her siblings, but help others through the field of medicine. With the help of Education First, Hana is one step closer to achieving her dreams.

Honorable Mentions

Diana Ruiz Trujeque
Austin

Thalia Acosta
Denver

Ester Ruiz
Los Angeles

Fatuma Gedi
Portland

Jessica Osorio
San Diego

Hugo Wanderley de Souza
San Francisco

Maria Nguyen
Seattle

Jessy Tran
Austin
Reagan High School
Dealing with domestic abuse in his household throughout his childhood, Jessy had a difficult time building relationships and finding stability. In his junior year, he lost his grandmother and mother and felt that his family was falling apart. It was then that he found the courage to begin thinking about his brothers. He channeled his passion through music and wanted to use college to improve life for his family and his community. He has confidence in his abilities to succeed and will be a great role model for those around him.

Dania Hernandez
Denver
Jefferson High School
Early in life, Dania learned two important qualities from her parents: perseverance and hard work. Witnessing incredible poverty in a 6th-grade field trip to Mexico, Dania realized how many opportunities existed for her in the United States. Her experience has fueled her desire to participate in a variety of organizations and find happiness in her relationships with her family and friends. She wants to attend the University of Denver to become a pediatrician and finds her motivation through her parents and early life experiences.

Mariann Torres
Los Angeles
Garfield High School

Isaiah Eddington
Portland
Roosevelt High School

Michelle Nguyen
San Francisco
Mission High School
Early in high school, Michelle dealt with abuse in her home. Being placed into foster care soon after that, she struggled to keep up with her studies. She became involved in community service and her life experiences soon led her to pursue a college education. She found a passion in computer science and wants to create software that benefits people in everyday life. She plans to open a school in her neighborhood that teaches coding to anyone that is interested to help lift those in her community out of poverty. She has founded her school’s programming club and is dedicated to attending college to pursue her dreams of learning computer science.

Andrea Francisco
Seattle
Chief Sealth High School
Struggling with finances early in her life, Andrea worked 30 hours a week to support her family, increasing to more hours in her senior year when her father lost his job. Learning so much about finances, Andrea has a passion to study business and to learn more about business culture in the United States and to help her family and community. She was deeply involved with the key club, holding two officer positions in high school and has been the only steady form of income for her family throughout her high school years.

Honorable Mentions

Tomas Quiroz
Austin

Edwin Saenz
Denver

German Rodriguez
Los Angeles

Fadi Labib
Portland

Jeffrey Wu
San Francisco

Hebler Saucedo
Seattle

Fidel Campuzano
Austin
John H. Reagan
Fidel is a remarkable young man who came to the United States when he was nine years old without any knowledge of the English language. He immediately sought help from his grandmother and other family members to learn English and became so proficient that he was able to continue in the standard English classes after only a year. Working with his parents in his free time, he developed a strong acumen for finance. After a summer at an accounting camp at UT Austin, he decided to become a Certified Public Accountant. He has an incredible drive and appreciation of hard work and will be a very successful young man.

Maria Martinez
Denver
Denver High School
Struggling through several household moves during her childhood years, Maria found it difficult to focus her attention on her studies. She took on the responsibility of caring for her siblings and father while her mother worked to help pay the rent. Maria has always had a desire to pursue nursing to help her family and those in her community. Her responsible nature and diligent attitude towards her school and family responsibilities has allowed her to excel in both places and will help her to pursue her degree in nursing.

Higinio Gonzalez
Los Angeles
James A. Garfield High School
Early in his life, Higinio moved to the United States from Mexico. At first, he felt isolated and lonely because he could not speak English. At times, he found it difficult to assimilate into the student body because the other kids would laugh at him. However, with support from his teachers and parents and with difficult sacrifices and long hours of work, Higinio persevered and was soon able to speak English and assimilated into the student body at his elementary school. Through this experience, Higinio has become a strong, independent, and determined young man who will succeed in his goals. He has a deep admiration for his parent’s struggles and follows their example of hard work to meet his challenges.

Rachel Nance
Portland
David Douglas High School
Rachel Nance is the rock in her family. Rachel helped her brother and mother deal with the departure of her father and the death of her step-father, all while moving around to multiple schools. She helped run the home, support her mother with grief, all while mentoring and helping her brother in school. With the drive to take care people, Rachel is naturally going to pursue medicine after she graduates with honors. She wants to make a positive impact on the world and help change people’s lives for the better.

Demondre Harrison
San Francisco
Balboa High School
Demondre has had a troubled childhood and sought a release through participation in school activities and sports. He lost his mother at an early age and only saw his father sporadically. Living with his aunt, who was unable to support him fully, Demondre became independent and self-motivated enough to set a positive example for his younger cousins. Despite growing up in an unsafe neighborhood, Demondre devoted his time to tutoring and mentoring the local student through the Mayor’s Youth Employment Program. He played basketball and values truthfulness, above all else. He will find great successes and set a great example as the first person in his family to attend college.

Andry Xevandry
Seattle
Chief Sealth International High School
Andry moved to the US from Indonesia with his mother when he was young. Sadly, his stepfather passed away in his sophomore year, and his mother has been tirelessly working several jobs to help pay for their lives. Seeing his mother’s hard work, Andry has learned the importance of diligent efforts and applies them to his school and extracurricular activities. He is the vice president of his class and the captain of the tennis team. Due to his experience and knack for being a team leader, he wants to study business management and economics, specifically related to his East Asian background. Being a strong proponent of racial equality, he wants to work closely with the Indonesian communities in the US to help assimilate them into the American society.

Honorable Mentions

Ivy Markwell
Austin

Edite Maloku
Denver

Ruta Gebreyesus
Los Angeles

Brendan Nikola
Portland

William Liem
San Francisco

Katie Bui
Seattle

Jose Salazar
Austin
Travis High School
Jose Salazar is an impressive, responsible, and hard-working young man. Despite having learned English in just six months, Jose graduated high school and planned to study civil engineering. In addition to the language barrier, Jose has been faced with many challenges throughout adolescence, including grieving the death of his sister who was taken by cancer. Jose has been actively involved on campus through PALS, varsity soccer, and football, but he also rolled in the Austin Police Explorers; in fact, this summer, he and nine other Explorers were selected to represent APE at the National Law Enforcement Explorers Conference in Fort Collins, Colorado. Despite being accepted to all the universities to which he applied, for financial reasons Jose is only able to attend Austin Community College.

Maria Lavin Puentes
Denver
West High School
Maria is an incredibly motivated and driven young lady. She approaches life with a strong sense of practicality, especially when it came to the financial burdens of pursuing a college education. Maria attended West High School and will be the first member of her family to graduate college.

Jessica Alonzo
Los Angeles
Thomas Jefferson High School
Jessica Alonzo exudes the presence of a strong-willed and determined young lady. Raised by a single mom, Jessica has watched as her mom battled severe illness, and today she strives to treat her mom and help make ends meet. Jessica is a fighter. She does not let the doubts of friends and family doubts get in her way. Through incredible perseverance, Jessica is one of the top four students in her graduating class, the president of the Make it Count leadership club, and a member of the Health Advocacy club. In the fall, Jessica will be attending University of California, Los Angeles.

Nathaniel Stanley
Portland
Roosevelt High School
Nathaniel is an extremely motivated and well-liked individual. Growing up he battled weight issues and was often teased for his size. But this was the least of his worries, as his parents battled their drug additions. Growing up in a broken home was not easy, and with younger siblings, Nathaniel was determined to keep the family together. He began working at a veterinary clinic so that he could help pay the mortgage so they would not be evicted. Throughout life, Nathaniel has always turned to nature as his sanctuary, and he will continue to pursue this love by seeking a degree in Marine Biology at Oregon State University.

Makda Beyene
San Francisco
Mission High School
After immigrating to the United States from Asmara, Makda’s family could not afford housing and has been living in homeless shelters. In addition to her dedication to education, Makda is responsible for reserving beds at a local shelter for her family and translating for family members who do not speak English. She is a strong young woman who uses her situation as motivation for pursuing college and aims to help her family and others in similar situations. Makda plans to study health care and work in a public hospital. She has seen how poverty keeps people from seeking medical treatment and wants to dedicate her life to helping people that cannot afford health care.

Maria Alejandra Perez
Seattle
Cleveland High School
Maria has always dreamed of college and has done everything possible to make that a reality. She came to the United States when she was 12 years old and had to quickly learn English to excel at school. During high school, she started the Latino Students United Club to celebrate her culture and work together on college applying and scholarships. This Fall, Maria will be starting college at the University of Washington Bothell campus with hopes of transferring to the Seattle campus after completing her core classes. Maria plans to study Business Administration and hopes to eventually start a non-profit to help others reach their educational dreams.

Honorable Mentions

Jose Ortega
Austin

Daniel Valles
Denver

Edvin Pablo
Los Angeles

Blaize Higgins
Portland

Cinthia Mendoza Perdomo
San Francisco

Karl Gapuz
Seattle

Estrella Perez
Austin
Travis High School
Estrella Perez graduated from Travis High School with a 2.85 GPA, despite not being able to speak English when she immigrated to America as an elementary school student and while working 30-40 hours per week at a restaurant as a high school student. She will be the first of her family to earn a high school diploma. One of her proudest accomplishments is graduating with perfect attendance throughout her high school career.

Melissa Romero
Denver
North High School
Melissa volunteers her time at a community resource center doing projects such as giving computer help to those in need. In her interview, she spoke of "wanting to bridge the digital divide" that separates the less fortunate in the community. She plans on studying computer science and business management at Metro State College of Denver.

Beatriz Pineda
Los Angeles
Manual Art High School
Beatriz is a very determined young lady who sets her goals high while also thinking practically about how to best achieve her goals. Coming to the United States at the age of 17 and starting High School was not easy, and her inability to speak English and working thirty to forty hours a week to provide for her family only made her life that much more challenging. However, four years later and Beatriz is fluent in English and moving on to pursue her college education. Beatriz will be starting University at Los Angeles City College, close to both her home and job, in the fall and plans to transfer to a four-year University after her first two years.

Hamda Jama
Portland
Roosevelt High School
Hamza and her family of 10 arrived in the US 5 years ago from Somalia, speaking no English and ready to start their new life. She entered high school and was performing at the top of her class. She wants to become a pediatrician and help her community who cannot afford healthcare as well as provide medical support to those in her home country of Somalia. Hamada plans to attend Portland State in the fall and will be the first in her family to attend college. She hopes to set the standard for her younger siblings.

Allan Gomez
San Francisco
Mission High School
Allan has overcome many significant challenges in his life and is mature beyond his years. With his mother, Allan fled Guatemala because of his abusive father. They reluctantly left their sister behind, but after a couple of years, by working two jobs, his mom was able to reunite the family. However, not long after, Allan was kidnapped by his father and taken back to Guatemala. For two years, he lived in the hostile environment until finally, he escaped with his cousin. After crossing the border, they were apprehended by Immigration police. After pleading asylum, Allan had to take on jobs where he was paid below minimum wage due to his illegal status to support his family and pay legal fees. Despite all these obstacles, Allan never forgot the importance of education. He was brave enough to share his story with teachers and has since been able to improve his grades and receive much-needed support. Allan aspires to major in Political Science in college so that he may one day become a lawyer and advocate for others in similar conditions.

Veronica Coria
Seattle
Rainier Beach High School
Veronica is a very brave and determined young woman who knew that education was her key to a better future. At the age of 15, she made the fearless decision to leave her family and everything she knew to come to Washington and live with her sister. Unfortunately, Veronica’s sister has been sick so even at the young age of 15 Veronica had to get a job and help support them both, all while trying to learn English and go to school. Veronica’s fortitude has allowed her to succeed, becoming a student of the month on four different occasions, being President of the Latino Club, as well as maintaining a 3.17 GPA. Her dream is to become a pediatrician and have a career that allows her to give back to her community. Veronica will be attending Seattle Central Community College in the fall.

Honorable Mentions

Felipe D. Anaya-Hernandez
Austin

Rodolfo Segovia
Denver

Vanessa Garcia
Los Angeles

Britany Jaramillo
Portland

Irene Noh
San Francisco

Patricia Burgess
Seattle

Binh Nguyen
Austin
Travis High School
As the oldest of 5, I have always felt responsible to help take care of and provide for my family. In Middle School, I began volunteering at my Aunt's restaurant and have continued to take summer and part-time jobs to help my family in any way. In my spare time I volunteer at the Dell's Children's Hospital and hope to eventually become a pediatrician.

Yahaira Membreno
Denver
Jefferson Senior High School
While I will be the first to graduate High School in my family, the road was not easy. With no father at home, I have held down a part-time job to help pay our bills because my disabled mother cannot work. While I realize college will be hard, I am determined to pursue an education. After college I want to become a veterinarian because my internship at Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services has confirmed my passion for working with animals.

Jairo Guerrido
Los Angeles
Manual Art High School
Moving to the US just before High School, my parents never understood the importance of a college education. Instead of going to college, my parents insist I get a job to help my family cover our home expenses. But I am determined. I have devoted myself to school, taking extra classes at a local college and waking up at 4am in order to complete my school work. I plan to study biomedical engineering.

Michael Caldwell
Portland
Marshall High School
I've always been a passionate and inquisitive person. From a young age drove my mom insane with a constant barrage of the simple question: "Why?" I learned very fast that there is a big world out there, and I try to take advantage of that from being involved in Upward Bound to being the Senior Class president. I plan to continue this in college by double majoring in Earth Sciences and Journalism.

Everson Perez
San Francisco
Mission High School
San Francisco State University
Moving to the US just before High School was difficult. While knowing little English was difficult, I focused on studying hard, getting good grades and working various jobs to help support my family. In going to college, I want to give back to my community and my family. I will be attending San Francisco State University and plan to study architecture.

Katie Bennett
Seattle
Cleveland High School
Four years ago I was diagnosed with alopecia, causing most of my hair to fall out and soon after my grandmother died, bringing on a stage of depression. While this was a challenging time, I was determined to persevere. I will be the first in my family to graduate college and hope to become a broadcast journalist and eventually obtain a Masters in Business Administration.

Honorable Mentions

Zuleyma Serrano
Austin

Audrey Hoffman-Lekmine
Denver

Rosa Hernandez
Los Angeles

Van Tran
Portland

DeAnthony Jones
San Francisco

Kate Sandell
Seattle

David Johnson
Austin
Reagan High School
I am a leader. I have the power to influence friends and peers. Even this year, I have influenced many of my peers to obtain a post-secondary education by my actions and encouraging words. No one in my family has gone to college, so I want to be the role model that my younger brothers look up to.

Robert Ortega
Denver
Denver North High School
Seven years ago I had promised my grandmother that I would pursue a higher education. Although she has now passed away, she has motivated me to not only graduate from high school but go to college. I aspire to motivate youth to see that education is the true key to success, and through hard work, anything is possible. It was once said, "To get ahead is to get started," and college is my starting point.

Rosalinda Garcia
Los Angeles
Manual Art High School
With a college education, I hope to change the lack of community involvement from the Latin American community. My personal involvement in the Salvadoran and American Leadership and Education Fund is a step towards that goal. I enjoy this activity because it helps we grow leadership skills and makes me a more responsible student, as a role model for others.

Alexandria Washington
Portland
Jefferson High School
Early on, I had to become very self-reliant emotionally and materially to ensure success at school. I've worked hard from a young age to overcome this adversity, do well in school, and work to not only support myself but to help my siblings, while also finding time to participate in and serve my community. I will be the first to attend college in my family.

Anqi Ran
San Francisco
Balboa High School
After coming to the US, I realized there are plenty of people who are compassionate but never put it into action. Thus, instead of saying, "someone" needs to get it done, I stepped up. I became the President of the Red Cross Club to help senior citizens. Being a first generation college student will be tough, but receiving a college education will help me fulfill my goal of becoming a CPA.

Brittany Green
Seattle
Rainier Beach High School
In my spare time, I am a tutor and enjoy teaching others to read. I also serve as a local fundraising volunteer for local food actions in Seattle and have been holding down a part time to job to pay for college. I will be attending Lincoln University and plan to study law with a focus in the civil arena.

Honorable Mentions

Isata Konneh
Austin

Alicia Griffin
Denver

Josue Alvarez
Los Angeles

Taylor Maher
Portland

Besarion Khidesheli
San Francisco

Travonna Wiley
Seattle

Ashley Corona
Austin
Reagan High School
University of Texas,Austin
I have been very determined in the pursuit of my education, while having to take care of my siblings at home.I also have a passion for dancing and plan to pursue a major in dance from Texas State University.Thank you, Education First.

Othello Nyema
Denver
North Senior High School
University of Denver
With my education, I wish to obtain a job or volunteer position with the United States High Commissioners for refugees… working in war-torn countries like my (home) country — Ivory Coast.

Jacqueline Villatoro
Los Angeles
Manual Arts High School
University of California, San Diego
With my college education, I wish to not only make a difference in my life but to make a difference in my family's life as well. I hope to use my education to pursue a great career and to make my knowledge worthwhile.

Nathanael Kelley
Portland
Roosevelt High School
Portland State University
With my college education, I hope to gain as much knowledge and experience as I can. I am very interested in broadening myself and opening up to new ideas through learning.

Wanyue Iris Zhang
San Francisco
Mission High School
University of California, Berkeley
I began to volunteer at a free clinic for women with cancer, where I was inspired to study medicine… I hope to attend medical school and participate in public health programs. I will not only treat patients but also be a social advocate.

Carlos Gutierrez
Seattle
Chief Sealth High School
University of Washington
Many people have helped me get this far and I want to do the same thing for others in order to continue the cycle of education and of giving.

Honorable Mentions

Chular Griffin
Austin
Reagan High School

Elishya Konkler
Denver
Jefferson High School

Jesus Barragan
Los Angeles
Manual Arts High School

Qiaoling Chen
Portland
Marshall High School

Xumin Hu
San Francisco
Balboa High School

Kathy Saeteurn
Seattle
Cleveland High School

Evelyn Gonzalez
Austin
Reagan High School
Texas State University
I have been very determined in the pursuit of my education while having to take care of my siblings at home. I also have a passion for dancing and plan to pursue a major in dance from Texas State University. Thank you, Education First.

Seth Treber
Denver
North Senior High School
Grinnell College
The challenges and obstacles I have faced in high school are not like those of many students. However, the idea of receiving a college education is the one reason I continue to achieve.

Sayra Escobedo
Los Angeles
Jefferson High School
University of California, Los Angeles
Since the start of high school, I knew that I was about to embark on a journey that would prepare me for my future and ultimately a college education. As the President of the Key Club, I was able to inspire [students] to be passionate and dedicated in providing service to others... despite obstacles I had to overcome.

Suada Ibrahim
Portland
Jefferson High School
Portland State University
With my college education, I would love to become a Pediatric Nurse. I've become familiar with this field by volunteering at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in the Pediatric Unit and Oregon Health Sciences Univ.Hospital.I know I have a few steps ahead of me, but I plan to study very hard in pursuit of this career.

Maureen Nwaokoro
San Francisco
Thurgood Marshall High School
University of California, Davis
My school does not have all the resources of a private school or good public school; in fact, we lack many essential resources and materials. However, I managed to rise above these insufficiencies by taking the initiative in finding what I needed for my education.

Vanessa Garcia
Seattle
Chief Sealth High School
South Seattle Community College
Being the first generation born in the US and having had a child at a young age has been tough, but I want to have a career I love and enjoy.I know college will prepare me for that future. Having already made it this far, I know I have the commitment and discipline necessary to succeed.

Honorable Mentions

Ashley Jones
Austin
Travis High School

Ashley Griffin
Denver
Jefferson High School

Maria Paula Perez
Los Angeles
Jefferson High School

Jean Senah
Portland
Jefferson High School

Miao Li
San Francisco
Mission High School

Jonah Pilot
Seattle
Cleveland High School

Amanda Gonzales
Austin
Reagan High School
Angelina College
I am an enthusiastic person with ambitions for teaching and pursuing further studies in education. Currently, I am actively involved with the Theater and Drama class and the Editor and Chief of our school newspaper. In life, I am determined to carry forward positively after family and financial setbacks

Gerardo Ortiz
Denver
North Senior High School
University of Colorado at Boulder
Challenging myself and setting goals has always been a top priority. Going to a high school where the graduation rate is 50%, I felt I had to set an example not only on the playing fields but in the classroom as well. Playing sports during my four years enabled me to stay away from the unconstructive activities people my age experience. My most important goal was to go to college.

Henry Segovia
Los Angeles
Jefferson High School
University of California, San Diego
I am fortunate to have studied in two countries and have always valued education. Growing up, I also learned to be responsible not only for myself, but also for the needs of others in my house. Education First has helped me to pay my college tuition and accomplish my goals.
Victoria Dempsey
Portland
Marshall High School
Portland State University
I have high expectation for my college education, and my main goal is to become a registered nurse. I chose this career because when I was younger I watched my mom work as a Certified Nurse's Assistant and admired how much she helped people. I'm an optimistic person because I surround myself with positive people who have helped me through school and my job.

Gladys Madison
San Francisco
Thurgood Marshall High School
University of California, Davis
Diversity comes with individuality. My uniqueness appears on the outside and also thrives within me. How a person dresses or lives has no bearing on who they are as a person, and being a leader has helped me achieve this self-awareness. I would like to challenge statistics of minority education and be the first in my family to go to college.

Marquita Brown
Seattle
Rainier Beach High School
Paine College
My grades are only a small part of who I am. They do not represent me as a whole or the obstacles I have overcome. If most people lived my life, they would have given up a long time ago. This is what sets me apart from other people. I have the aspiration to succeed.

Honorable Mentions

Daniel Lopez
Austin

Jose Sanchez
Denver

Adelina Flores
Los Angeles

Angeline Cobb
Portland

Andrea Williams
San Francisco

Autumn Jones
Seattle

Carlotta Hamilton
Austin
Regan High School
University of Texas
The thing I wish to achieve with a college education is to have a well-equipped job and to do something that I love to do rather than settle for less in a job that doesn't require a college education

Meghan Hartvigson
Denver
North High School
Adams State College
My major strength is that I seize opportunities. I am not one to sit and watch the world continue without me. I have spoken at higher education presentations and have volunteered with younger students. I love to interact with and lead diverse groups, challenging my own boundaries.

Gladys Mireles
Los Angeles
Manual Arts High School
University of California Berkeley
There are those who say, "Oh no, school is not for me," but in my case, school is the only thing that will take me where I want to go. Realizing that college can take me places, keeps me from giving up no matter how difficult the challenge

Meron Foto
Portland
Roosevelt High School
University of Portland
Although my classes in Eritrea (Africa) had been taught in English, the way people spoke in America was very different, and I had a difficult time comprehending. Soon I found a solution—reading books! I started reading books with my teacher's help. As a result, my English skills began improving very fast. Today, I am a member of the National Honor Society, thanks to their help.

Almaz Nigusse
San Francisco
Balboa High School
Sonoma State University
I will be the first person in my family to go to college and will have more options in my life compared to Africa where I grew up. In America, I know I can earn a college degree, and it will make a difference in my life.I also want to give back to my community by volunteering with other immigrant youth who are in need and encourage them to attend college.

Mahogany Villars
Seattle
Cleveland High School
Western Washington University
My major challenge in High School was being surrounded by peers that were not motivated to go to college. However, I turned that challenge into my own advantage, by seeking available scholarships and creating a plan unique to me and my long term educational goals. What drives me today is the opportunity to one day go back and speak to the students of my High School, telling them if I can succeed, so can you.

Honorable Mentions

Stacy Guerra
Austin

Keith Valentine
Denver

Ernie Dominguez
Los Angeles

Kathy Elijah
Portland

Larenzo Bell
San Francisco

Abdulkadir Abu-Munye
Seattle