Since 1999, Assistance League® of Diablo Valley’s Scholarships program has provided financial and emotional support to high school, community college, university students and returnees to the academic community. Each applicant has expressed a desire to advance through education by maintaining a designated grade point average, volunteering in campus and community projects, and charting an academic time line.
While these requirements document both academic and community achievements, the interview phase gives the Scholarships Committee members invaluable insights as to how these aspiring anthropologists, engineers, nurses, performing artists, physicians and one culinary chef have defied overwhelming challenges to realize their dreams. Several are returning recipients.
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At a recent awards ceremony, Scholarships Co-Chairman Lesley Salo stated that she was thrilled with the number of recipients this year and attributed it to the generosity of foundations and individual donors, as well as chapter members, and revenue earned at the Way Side Inn Thrift Shop, the chapter’s primary fundraiser located in Lafayette. Co-Chairman Cindi Segale added that since its inception, the Scholarships Program has expanded its reach in helping young adults improve our world.
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The 2019 Scholarships recipients from Contra Costa County high schools include Carol Alata, Christiana Aranda, Alondra Barba, Asal Bastani, Olivia Blea, Kaitlyn Bonner, Andrew Bracken, Miah Cole, Anderson Davis, Brooke Ellingson, Moises Esquivias, Diamond Jones, Margarita Garcia Martinez, Carly Glasson, Ammar Iqbal, Ava Jih-Schiff, Cade Myers, Princess Joy Palcone, Jorge Paredes, Ishika Prashar, Tiana Reber, Sophia Scipi and Nicole Tria.
Scholarships awardees who are graduating from Contra Costa County Community Colleges and transferring to 4-year universities include Enrique Barajas Fragosa, Kathryn Cassin, Christopher Hipolito, Whitney Hutapea, Cindy Lopez Ceja, Adeola Morren, Monica Noori-Saghar, Amy Okosun, Kearsten Simoni and Adriana Varela.
The Spotlight Scholarship, which is renewable each year, is awarded to students who show particularly strong focus on their educational goals that lead to a career path in their chosen fields. Recipients are Melanie Carniglia, Jason Frost, Erika Gutierrez, Karen Kirchner, Sienna Marley, Yingjun Tan, and Timothy Yao.
A specially funded scholarship, the Judy Oliphant Memorial Scholarship honors an Assistance League member who passed away in 2016. Funding for the $15,000 multi-year award came from individual donors in appreciation for the years of financial support Ms. Oliphant provided the organization’s Scholarships program. This year’s recipient is Aasim Yahya.
The Allen Petersdorf Memorial Scholarship awarded $2,500 to provide two foster youth with opportunities for higher education. Recipients of this scholarship must attend or enroll in a four-year college or continue in second year of community college. Kimberly Lechuga and Kayla Warren are this year’s awardees.
The Lisa Parker Hurst High School Scholarship requires that the recipients graduate from one of four high schools in Mount Diablo Unified School District and are entering an accredited four-year college and maintain a designated grade point average. This year’s recipient is Ruby Arceo.
Congratulations to all! The Universities of California at Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles and Irvine, Stanford, Mills College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, University of Southern California, as well as California State Universities await. Scholarships Committee members look forward to following the additional accomplishments of these remarkable students in the ensuing years. To learn more about the Scholarships program, as well as Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s other philanthropic programs, please visit this website: assistanceleague.org/diablo-valley.