Assistance League of Diablo Valley Awards $206,200 in Scholarships

Since 1999, Assistance League® of Diablo Valley’s Scholarships program, presently co-chaired by Susan Klipfel and Carol Johnstone, has provided financial and emotional support to high school, community college and university students as well as 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 timeline.

Additionally, the required Interview component encourages each candidate to explain what he or she wants to accomplish, why and, as important, how to implement their commitment. This process touches on the candidates’ significant areas of their lives, information that might be sensitive and, therefore, held in confidence.

On Wednesday, May 11, Assistance League of Diablo Valley held its Scholarships Awards Presentation at Boundary Oak Golf Course Clubhouse, Walnut Creek. Recipients ranging from ages 17 to 68, supported by family members and mentors alike, realized their dreams.

To launch the testimonial component, former Scholarships awardee and Concord High School graduate Aasim Yahya shared his insights with this year’s Scholarships recipients. To offset uncertainties in today’s world, he advised all to “accept what we can’t, and work with what we can.” Additional strategies included finding a mentor, taking risks beyond one’s comfort zone, and suspending judgments in order to further investigate issues. Aasim is graduating with highest honors from U.C. Berkeley later this month.

The 2022/2023 High School Scholarships recipients from Contra Costa County high schools include Anson Anonuevo, Aayushma Bhandari, Alizei DeLeon, Khandidiatou Diallo, Samantha Fitzgerald, Bella Glasson, Yujin Huh, Jessica Kwasny, Isabella Lopez, Nyela Nesbeth, Aubrey Newton, Gabriel Souza and Meshai Taylor.

Foster Youth Scholarships recipients are Jennyriz Bulanadi, Dylan Cantu, Dulce (Alex) Garcia Chim, Victoria Hernandez, Aaliyah Julius, Shanel Kowalski-Kendall, Melissa Mendoza, Angel Owens, Michael Robinson and Kassandra Salazar.

Community College Scholarships awardees who are graduating from Contra Costa County Community Colleges and transferring to four year universities are Henrietta (Hetty) Awuah-Antwi, Cassius (Casey) Carrandang, Isuru Dias, Alexandra Gallagher, Aria Hamiter, Taraiane Jimenez, Jordan Nouri, Amber Peake, Madeline Taylor and Martin Vazquez.

Specially Funded 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 are Morsell Arghandiwal, Kalani Dunn, Moises Esquivias, Carly Glasson, Jordynne Hesselroth, Ammar Iqbal, Jeana Lee, Anthony Lopez, Miguel Montalvo Hernandez, Jorge Paredes, Ishika Prashar, Diego Riverbay, Abigail Rickli, Avery Rickli and Phetmany Annie Xayakhoun.

Spotlight on You, awarded for demonstrating particularly strong focus on educational goals that lead to a career path in a vocational or technical field are Alysha Houston and Yvettee Burrell.

The Lisa Parker Hurst Memorial Award requires that the recipient graduate from one of five high schools in the community and are entering an accredited four-year college, where they will maintain a designated grade point average went to Krylle Bianca Acma and Valeria Oropeza, both from Concord High School.

The Returning to School Scholarship is awarded to life-long learners Laura Haney and Mai Saleh.

Following the Awards Ceremony presentations, Scholarships

Co-Chairmen Klipfel and Johnstone acknowledged the generosity of foundations, individual donors (chapter members included) and revenue earned at the Assistance League Thrift Shop at the Way Side Inn, the chapter’s primary fundraiser, located in Lafayette. The combined efforts resulted in $206,200 in scholarships granted to well-deserving applicants for 2022-23.

Congratulations to all! The Universities of California-Berkeley, -San Diego, -Santa Barbara -Los Angeles, California Polytechnic State University-Humbolt, California State Universities, the University of Alabama, as well as Diablo Valley College 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.