Kennedy-King Memorial College Scholarship Fund, Ltd.

2010 Kennedy-King Scholars

Kennedy-King awarded 21 undergraduate scholarships of $8000 each and 3 graduate scholarships of $4000 in 2010.

Meet the Class of 2010
As pictured at our Annual Awards Dinner in May

Photo courtesy of Wentling's Studio

We awarded 3 graduate scholarships in 2010:

Tephiny Jones

Tephiny will obtain a B.A. in social work this spring from U. C. Berkeley after attending Contra Costa College. She was a 2007 Kennedy-King scholar. Next fall she will seek an M.A. in public policy and social work. She has worked for Congresswoman Barbara Lee in Oakland and hopes after receiving her M.A. to assist government to formulate, impliment and evaluate public policies to address social problems that affect our famlies and chidren.

Christopher MacAlpine-Belton

Christopher was a 2007 Kennedy-King scholar. Despite growing up in poverty and homelessness with his single mother, Christopher graduated from Contra Costa College and Clark University summa cum laude, being inducted into three honors societies, receiving School of Geography honors, and the Ellen Churchill Semple Award for overall academic excellence and commitment. He is currently enrolled at Stony Brook University, N.Y. seeking an M.A. in public policy. He would like to seek employment in a community or internaional development agency involved in social justice and human rights.

Mayra Pastore

Mayra attended Contra Costa College and was a 2001 Kennedy-King scholar. She received a B.S. in Biochemistry from SF State University. She is currently a Ph.D. graduate student at U. Wisconsin-Madison conducting research in women’s health. She has volunteered more than 3,000 hours at the Richmond Police Activities League and currently is involved with the Child Care Tuition Assistance Program at Wisconsin.

We awarded 21 undergraduate scholarships in 2010.
Here they are:

Latoiche Adams Ms. Adams is a Diablo Valley College Transfer Studies major, as well as the single mother of two sons, age 9 and 11. She has been involved with the DVC scholarship office and EOPS/CARE program, is a parent advocate for the Solano Parent Network, and is a member of DVC’s Alpha Gamma Sigma Psi honorary society. She plans to earn a bachelor’s degree, either in human development at Cal State East Bay or in social work at Cal State Sacramento, with the ultimate goal of earning a master’s degree and becoming a rehabilitation counselor.
	Daniel Badiali Contra Costa Times Scholar Abandoned by his father at age 17, with a mother and sister who suffer from bipolar disease, Mr. Badiali was left with the burden of working and caring for his family. His determination and strong work ethic led him to be a shift manager at Starbucks. After his first semester at Diablo Valley College, with more of a chance to focus on his education, he carried a 3.6 GPA while maintaining his supervisor position at work. When he later became an English tutor and then an instructional aide, he discovered new talents and skills in communicating, which he uses to help others in his community.
Christina Cannon Park Regency Scholar Christina Cannon grew up in San Pablo, surrounded by drugs, poverty, and a struggle that seemed to be sewn into every fabric of her life. She graduated from El Cerrito High School in 2004. She is currently attending Los Medanos College, and plans to continue her education at Idaho State University, her goal being a master’s degree in sociology. At LMC, she has held multiple student leadership positions such as LMCAS Senator and Student Trustee. Ms. Cannon believes that education has guided her in her quest for social justice and her leadership involvement has paved her path towards enlightenment.
	Maureisha Carter Raised in a low income housing project in southern California, Maureisha Carter fought her way through a life thrust upon her by way of drugs, sex and violence--one of eight children in a family that relied solely on government assistance. No one in her family has graduated from high school. Determined to break that cycle of poverty, Ms. Carter attends Los Medanos College, where she is an English tutor, is involved in student government, and is the LMC outreach chair. She will pursue her lifelong passion for art as an art major at San Francisco State University.
Carlos Delao Lesher Foundation Scholar Mr. Delao was born in San Francisco, raised in San Pablo, and attended Middle College High School, where he developed a love of biological sciences. After graduating from MCHS, he continued at Contra Costa College, where he is on the Dean’s list. He joined the Center for Science Excellence, and plans to pursue a career in medicine or biomedical research. He also tutors in biology, chemistry and math. Mr. Delao has been accepted at UC Davis as a biotechnology major, and has applied to UC Berkeley as a genetics and plant biology major. He is a first generation college student.
	Deidra Flanagan-Fisher Gagen McCoy Scholar Ms. Flanagan-Fisher is a newly-married and pregnant mother of four. The youngest of five children of a single mother in San Francisco, Deidra left home at the age of 12 to live on the streets. She earned a G.E.D., and by age 19 had two children of her own. At 22 she had started college, but became a drug addict, and by age 33, her mother had died and her children had been taken from her. She then found God, entered rehab, and is now a student at Los Medanos College with a 3.67 GPA. She is also a certified counselor in sex and drug abuse. Her goal is to earn a doctorate in psychology.
Johanna Garcia-Cabral Cesar Chavez Scholar Ms. Garcia-Cabral moved to California from Mexico at age 7. Her mother worked nights, so Johanna took care of her younger sisters, helped with homework, and did household chores. At age 11, her father left them, and Johanna sold chocolates on the street to help her mother pay the rent and buy food. She enrolled at Middle College High School, and now attends Contra Costa College, where she works in the Metas Program. She worked with Casa de Esperanza in Richmond, and has volunteered at Downer Elementary and the Bay Area Rescue Mission. She plans to attend UC Berkeley to earn a BA degree.
	Michael Garza Michael grew up in a crime-ridden neighborhood of Detroit with a drug-addicted father, who left the family when Michael was 12. He lived with his great-grandmother when he started college at age 16, and when she died, his life spun out of control and he ended up in jail. After finishing probation, he moved to California and enrolled at Los Medanos College, where he is now an honor student. What he learned there has helped him change his life. He plans to earn a Bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science at the University of San Francisco.
Wanda Lewis Ed and Gwen Regalia Scholar Ms. Lewis grew up in San Francisco during the civil rights era, and has been a community activist and volunteer all her life. A student at Los Medanos College, she is in the honors program, serves as an Outreach Ambassador, is a LMCAS representative, a member of the Future Educators Association, and tutors physically challenged students. She is a retired state research analyst, assists with church service projects, and volunteers in a first-grade classroom. She wants to earn a bachelor’s degree to become a public school teacher to help close the achievement gap among students of color.
	Fernanda Lopez Fernanda lived in Wisconsin and completed elementary school in Utah. Her family then moved to California, where she graduated from high school. Though her family believes firmly in education, the economic downturn has hit them hard. They are struggling, and Ms. Lopez is not eligible for financial aid. She is an honor student and will graduate with an A.A. in journalism from Los Medanos College this spring, and hopes to transfer to San Jose State University or San Francisco State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with emphasis in photography.
Kyle McCoy John Nejedly Scholar Kyle McCoy left public school after the third grade and was home schooled by his grandparents, as his family was dysfunctional, on public assistance, and became homeless. He completed high school through concurrent enrollment and continues at Contra Costa College, where he got the help and encouragement he needed to succeed. Through volunteering with the McCullum Youth Court Program in Oakland, he became interested in the law. He intends to major in American Studies or political science, and, after earning his bachelor’s degree, plans to go to law school to study family law with an emphasis on youth.
	Yesenia Morales Al Hart Scholar Yesenia Morales is a student at Diablo Valley College, the first in her family to attend college, as her parents did not have that opportunity. She has been interested in communications since high school, and has had several opportunities to learn about broadcast journalism. In the summer of 2008, she was a news intern for Telemundo 48 KSTS, which earned her a Bay Area STAR outstanding intern award, and she currently works as a news intern for Univision 14 KDTV. She will major in communication studies at a UC campus, and hopes to become a news anchor.
Eddie Morris ConocoPhillips Scholar Mr. Morris was born and raised in Oakland in the midst of drugs, violence and poverty. His father was a cocaine addict and left the family when Eddie was seven months old. Though a single parent on welfare, Eddie’s mother managed to keep him out of trouble. Now a student at Contra Costa College, Mr. Morris enjoys and excels at chemistry, and in summer 2009 he participated in an internship at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He plans to major in chemical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. His dream career is to engineer raw materials and chemicals into useful products.
	Walter Murcia Adelante Capital Scholar Walter Murcia was a business major at Diablo Valley College, learned the basics, and operated a successful business until closing it when his partner returned to Ecuador. He is now a criminal justice major at DVC, an interest kindled while he was visiting El Salvador. Though he failed during his first semesters back at DVC, he persevered and became an honor student while working 30-50 hours per week. He plans to earn a degree from UC Irvine, join the military and gain experience in the military police, get a master’s degree in business administration, and ultimately work for the FBI.
Kansola Oshodi De Golia Scholar She has always wanted to be a lawyer, but during a visit to Nigeria, she saw first-hand that law is not a reality for all. More determined than ever, she realized that political science was the way to achieve her goal. She moved to California, where she is enrolled at Diablo Valley College, has been active in ASDVC and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society. She works to support herself and pay for school. She is majoring in political science, with the goal of going into international law.
	Alma Perez Perfecto Villarreal Scholar Alma Perez entered high school knowing no English. But she worked hard so she could go to college. When her father was injured and couldn’t work, Ms. Perez worked two jobs, 65 hours a week to support her family of six. She still managed 12 credits of classes at Contra Costa College, and maintains a 3.6 GPA. She joined the Puente Program, and mentors in the Metas Program and for a local 5th grader. She will transfer to San Francisco State University to study international relations, and hopes to work for the United Nations.
Sofia Ruiz Harriet Garelis Scholar Ms. Ruiz is a Contra Costa College student, born of working class parents who migrated from Latin America. She started at CCC during her senior year of high school, and took advantage of all its opportunities. She participates in Alpha Gamma Sigma honor society, Latino Student Union, Puente Club, CCC Chamber Singers, the JazzaNova jazz singers, and started Ballet Folklorico Club. She has been on the Dean’s list for three years and will graduate this spring. Ms. Ruiz is majoring in vocal performance, with the goal of becoming a music therapist and teacher.
	Grecia Solis Ms. Solis has lived in California since the second grade, and graduated from Richmond High School. She is the third of five children of a single mother and has grown up among poverty and violence in her community. She works to pay for college, and participates in the Teen Environmental Action Membership at Marin Headlands Institute. She plans to earn a Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies to teach at the elementary school level, then earn a master’s degree in education and teach at a community college.
Sequoia Stanley Nikki Maziasz Scholar From the time she was a young child, Sequoia Stanley has had to deal with murder of those close to her—her father, her fiancé, a close friend, and the father of her first son. By 2007, she had three children, a second fiancé had left her, and she had no job. She enrolled at Los Medanos College in 2008 with the help of CalWORKS and financial aid, is passionate about education, and maintains a 3.8 GPA. Her goal is to become a family therapist and youth counselor in order to help others.
	Latasha Trevillion Ms. Trevillion is an English major at Contra Costa College, with the goal of becoming a high school English teacher. She is the single parent of a two-year old, and works part-time as well as a group leader at Highland Elementary School. She will graduate from CCC this spring, and wants to be an example to every young mother who works and goes to school full time.
Jasmean Wynn Growing up with a hard-working single mother, Jasmean Wynn spent her childhood taking care of her siblings. Her uneducated mother couldn’t get a decent job, so after high school Ms. Wynn took a full-time job to help support the family. After years of dead-end jobs, she knew she needed more education, and enrolled at Diablo Valley College. Though she struggled, she took advantage of resources such as tutoring and is now in the honor society. She has also volunteered at a food bank, the Salvation Army, and Books for Barrios. Her goal is to transfer to a UC to major in developmental psychology and then attend law school to become an advocate for foster children and troubled youth.