Kennedy-King Connections: A Dream Fulfilled
Our 57th Annual Celebration of Scholars took place on May 16, 2025 and it was one of our best turnouts to date! It was heartwarming to hear from this year's scholarship recipients and understand the impact of the Kennedy-King scholarship for them, their family and their communities. Plus, we also had a lot of fun!
Our Volunteer Board
Thank you to the amazing Gala committee and the entire board, who made the 2025 Gala a resounding success. Special acknowledgements go to our Event Chair, Barbara Simmons, Emcee, Mical Cayton, Donor Relations Director & Event Planning Partner, Miguel Mauricio and Social Media and Communications Committee Chair, Cecilia Diethelm-Stoddard.
Shown seated from left to right, front row: Eva Preciado-Lumsden, Vicki Ferguson, Art Rangel, Miguel Mauricio and Nikki Maziasz. Seated row two: Keiko Kobayashi, Ella Gower, Roman Leal, Daniel Ponce, and Mojdeh Mehdizadeh. Standing: Cecilia Stoddard-Diethelm, Tim Lynch, Dr. Mical Cayton, Felicia Harris-Foster, Leo Borjoquez. Missing: Loella Haskew, Maria Solemnidad, Amy Vreeland, LaToya Sykes, Barbara Simmons, Uriel "Ose" Oseguera and
Dr. Ameer Thompson.
The Scholars and Their Families
Each year, the stars of the Gala are the Scholarship Recipients and their support teams, who encouraged them along their educational journey. This year, we awarded 25 undergraduate and 13 graduate scholarships. This brings Kennedy-King’s total to over $7.25 million and 1,312 scholarships since 1969.
With Gratitude to Kennedy-King Donors
From 2024 Kennedy-King Scholar, Amye Elbert
My name is Amye Elbert, and I stand before you today filled with gratitude, pride, and deep purpose. First and foremost, I want to thank the Kennedy-King donors. Your generosity is more than a financial gift; it is a powerful vote of confidence in who we are and who we’re becoming. You are not just investing in our education, you are helping us rewrite the narratives of our lives.
To my mentors, Cecilia Diethelm and Arthur Rangel—thank you for seeing me, guiding me, and offering endless support and guidance. Also, thank you for reminding me that even the most difficult journeys are worth walking when you’re walking toward your purpose.
I am a first-generation college student, a re-entry student, and a community college transfer student. Today, I am a UC Berkeley Junior on track for another 4.0 semester. This road has been long and often uphill, marked by tragic events, housing insecurity, disability, and past trauma. But through all of it, I have held on to one belief: education is the key to transformation, not just for myself, but for those who come after me.
That’s why I live by the motto: “Each One, Teach One.” I want to set an example for my children, my grandchildren, and for all the young people walking paths like the ones I’ve walked—kids from foster care, from marginalized communities, from households that lacked food but not dreams. I want them to know: you are not your circumstances. You are your potential.
I am studying Art Practice and Education with the goal of becoming a teacher, an art teacher who doesn’t just teach technique, but who uses creativity to help young people tell their stories, process their pain, and shape their futures. Because art saved my life, and I know it can save others, too.
To my fellow Kennedy-King Scholars: You got this. We are not just survivors—we are scholars, artists, leaders, and change-makers. Let’s show the world who we are and who we can be. Let’s take this opportunity and use it to uplift our communities and inspire the next generation.
Thank you for believing in me and thank you for believing in us.
