Assistance League of Diablo Valley Awards $172,500 in Scholarships

Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s Scholarships Program Chair Cindi Segale (row 2, far left) congratulates recipients (row 1, l to r) Momal Afzal, Selene Prado-Rodrigues, Jacqueline Inclan, Cassandra Affinito and daughter, Hayoun Lim and Gilbert Arcilla; (Row 2, l) Karina Simpson, Juan Lopez Mendez, Darrel Muonekwu, Marcy Tegtmeier, Paramveer Singh, Jonathon Bayle, Aaliyah Karunaratne and Summer Hadla; Row 3, l to r) Eric Wagoner, Martin Magsombol , Monique Blot, Jennifer Ochoa, Sumbal Ghafoor, Jason Frost, Olivia Blea, Azeema Yahya, Danesha Lewis, Lina Isa and Jerry Lai.

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 who express 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 political scientists, clinical psychologists, mechanical engineers and physicians have defied overwhelming challenges. Several are returning recipients. At a recent awards ceremony, Scholarships Chair Cindi Segale introduced the 42 candidates by stating, “This year is a banner year for Scholarships!” The support they offered to each other during their acceptance speeches explains why. Let this verbal collage amplify: “This [scholarship] empowers me…without you [Assistance League of Diablo Valley], I would never be able to achieve my dreams…don’t settle…continue to fly…I have a chance to achieve equity…I want to thank my family…I want to help people.”

High School awardees include Momal Afzal and Sumbal Ghafoor, Pinole Valley High School, Pinole; Jason Frost, Alhambra High School, Martinez; Aaliyah Karunaratne and Paramveer Singh, Pittsburg High School, Pittsburg; Melissa Salmeron Pedroza, John F. Kennedy High School, Richmond; Jonathon Bayle, Darrel Muonekwu and Selene Rodriguez, Concord High School, Concord; Hayoun Lim, College Park High School, Pleasant Hill; Jerry Lai, Monte Vista High School, Danville; and Michael Yao, Dougherty Valley High School, San Ramon.

Community College recipients are J. Trinidad Arceo, Jacqueline Inclan, Martin Magsombol, Juan Lopez Mendez, Jennifer Ochoa, Candace Collier, Kayla Concetta Gordon and Cherreyle Poindexter, Los Medanos College, Pittsburg; Gilbert Archilla, Olivia Blea, Brittany Chauvin and Justine Overmyer, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill.

Additionally, the Spotlight, Sandi Lou Back-to-School and the Norma Dresser Field of Dreams Scholarships are funded by private donors who have determined the criteria for eligibility. Recipients must maintain a 2.8 grade point average and carry a minimum of 12 units during the entire time they receive funding.

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 field. Recipients are Sharof Abdugapparov, University of California-Irvine; Dannesha Lewis, California State University-Sacramento; Leaje Morris and Allison Spencer, University of California-Berkeley; Diane Neypes, Azusa Pacific University; Eric Wagoner, Los Medanos College-Pittsburg; and Azeema Yahya, Universitry of California-Davis.

More specifically, the Spotlight On You Scholarship addresses vocational and technology education. This year’s recipients are Monique Blot, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts, Concord and Alysha Houston, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill.

The Sandi Lou Back-to-School Scholarship supports a student who has returned to school after a lengthy absence. Cassandra Affinito, a single parent, will attend St. Mary’s College in Moraga to pursue a major in Accounting.

The Norma Dresser Field of Dreams Scholarship celebrates a chapter member who spent her last years dealing with deteriorating vision. This scholarship benefits students with visual impairment as they work toward their educational goals. The recipient for 2017 is Karina Simpkins who will attend San Jose State University to study hospitality management.

Another privately funded scholarship is the multi-year Mardis Preciado Memorial Scholarship. The recipient must be a student who has received a one-year scholarship from Assistance League of Diablo Valley in May 2016 and has achieved a 2.8 grade point average in his or her first year in college. The money will be disbursed in equal payments over the remaining six semesters of undergraduate work as long as the student maintains 12 units and a 2.8 grade point average. The 2016-17 recipient is Lillian Hunter-Reay, a freshman who attends University of California-Santa Cruz. Lillian is working toward a double major in Technology Information Management, a combination of computer science and business, as well as Spanish.

A new specially funded scholarship this year, the Judy Oliphant Memorial Scholarship honors an Assistance League member who passed away last year. Funding for the $15,000 multi-year award with the same criteria as the Mardis Preciado Memorial Scholarship, 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 Sophie Zhang, a graduate of San Ramon Valley High School and currently attending Princeton University with a major in Economics.

Congratulations to all! 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: diablovalley.assistanceleague.org.