2008 Women in Focus Scholarship Reception
Awesome achievement
Awesome achievement
| have made the Madison community proud. This is your time to shine.” And the 2008 scholarship recipients and special honorees certainly do have something to shine about: Akornefa Akyea is currently a student at Verona High School. She is president of the National Honor Society and is also involved in track, gymnastics, peer tutoring and the French and math clubs. Akornefa is an accomplished flutist. She is involved in the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra and has had the opportunity to solo with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Akornefa will be attending Columbia University in the fall where she will pursue a degree in civil or mechanical engineering. Nana Asante is a senior at Verona High School where she is a editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper. Nana is also a member of the National Honor Society, the student council, and Sisters Supporting Sisters. Nana will be attending Duke University this fall with an eye on eventually attending law school. Alisha David is a senior at East High School where she is a member of the National Honor Society and the BETA club. She is currently taking Spanish 5, calculus and advanced biology. Alisha is an outstanding athlete in track and tennis and has been on the student congress all four years of high school. She also volunteers her time in the community with wonderful programs like Meals on Wheels and P.A.W.W.S. She will be attending UW-Madison this fall where she will be studying pharmagenetics. Linda Gomez is a senior at La Follette High School where she has been very active in organizations like the National Honor Society, the French Honor Society and the Key Club. She also volunteers at her library once per week. Linda will attend UW-Madison in the fall where she would like to focus on math or a science-related field. Marcia Morales is a Middleton High School senior. Marcia is a member of the school’s international club and the Key Club. She has also performed volunteer work for Centro Hispano, Middleton Outreach Ministry and the MATC South campus. Marcia will attend Edgewood College this fall as an Edgewood Community Scholar and will prepare for a career in the health or social work fields. Joseline Ninawabera is a West High School senior. She is the varsity cheer captain, a mentor, a member of the prom committee and the vice-president of the Regent Commission, which raises funds for Second Harvest. She is also a member of UniKue African Association at West, helping to raise awareness and financial assistance for causes in African countries. Joseline dreams of becoming a successful businesswoman. Ahraaz Qureishi is a senior at La Follette High School. Ahraaz has honed his saxophone playing skills and was recently part of the pit orchestra for his school’ s musical. He has helped raise funds for United Cerebral Palsy, the National Association for Mental Illness and the Susan Komen Race for the Cure. Abraaz will be attending the UW-Madison this fall. Darnell Small is a student at La Follette High School where he has been on the honor roll and is active on the football, basketball and track teams. Darnell is also active with the PEOPLE Program. He will be attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth this fall where he will play football and major in business or financing. See Nou Thao is a senior at La Follette. He plans to attend Madison Area Technical College where he will study to become a computer engineer. See Nou also plans to work toward saving wildlife and their habitat from development. Delphine Vakunta is a senior at West High School where she has served as a mentor, homeroom leader and tutor. A native of the Republic of Cameroon, Delphine is proficient in English, Bamunka, Cameroonian Creole and has a working knowledge of French. Delphine will attend UW-Madison this fall where she plans to double major in mass media and a science/medical field. Cecily Rolling, a West High senior, received a special recognition as the daughter of a Women in Focus member. Cecily is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. She has actively volunteered with non-profits like Second Harvest and St. Mary’s. Cecily will be attending UW-Madison this fall where she will major in biology with an eye on attending medical school upon graduation. Nathaniel Pharmer-Eden, a freshman at UW-Whitewater, is the 2008 Miss Annie Mae Scholarship recipient. Nathaniel is active on campus as a member of the gospel choir, Black Student Union, the Dean’s Advisory Committee and the National Association of Black Accountants. Near the end of her remarks, Herrera noted how special this group of recipients is. “I will take note of remembering your faces because I know one day I will get to say ‘And I got to give a speech to so and so who is now president,’” Herrera said. “I know you guys will accomplish great things. You each have a purpose on this earth. And it is my hope that you will take every opportunity to fulfill it. Within each of you lies the potential to do great, great things. I am excited to see what the future holds for you.” And if her speech is any indication, good things lie ahead for Stephanie Herrera, in part, because of the role that Women in Focus has played in her life. |
| By Jonathan Gramling What makes Women in Focus, a Madison women’s group dedicated to youth- empowering activities, so special is that it talks the talk and walks the walk. Its primary fundraiser for its student scholarships is the ‘I Have a Dream’ Ball held every January during the King Holiday weekend. And in keeping with Dr. King’s dream, Women in Focus provides scholarships to students every year who reflect Dr. King’s Beloved Community. On May 4, Women in Focus handed out scholarships to 12 bright, promising young people who truly reflect Dr. King’s dream for all of us, at Regina Hall on the Edgewood College campus. And while the amounts that Women in Focus give may seem small in comparison to the high cost of higher education, the financial assistance and the support its signifies g a long way to bolstering the scholarship recipients’ chances to access higher education. Stephanie Herrera, a 2006 scholarship recipient, knows first hand what a difference the scholarships make. “Little did I know that this money had been sent as a blessing at a time when it was most needed,” Herrera said during her keynote speech. “As we all know, life is full of ups and downs. My family was going through a very difficult time that took a toll on our family’s finances. In fact, on the day that I received my scholarship, my family could not be there. As I was delighted to come to the banquet and receive my award, my heart was aching as everything around me seemed to be crashing down. Without this scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to purchase books and school supplies and actually, come to think of it, we wouldn’t have had enough money to buy my younger brother’s school supplies. I refer to this scholarship as a blessing because it is truly what it is. It took a burden off my family’s shoulders and gave us all something to look forward to. It truly allowed me to continue my education. So thank you very much.” Herrera had many nuggets of wisdom to pass down to the 2008 scholarship recipients, a wisdom that reached beyond her chronological years. Herrera urged the students to believe in and be true to themselves. “Always stay true to what makes you who you are,” Herrera emphasized. “It is easiest to go down and pick up on everything else that people do. But it takes a true person of character to be comfortable in their own skin at all times. Be proud of who you are because I know that everyone in this room is proud of you. We may not all know you as much as we would like to, but your being here lets us know one thing: that you have been determined enough to know what you want and go after it. I congratulate you all for valuing education, for showing society that regardless of what color a person’s skin may be or what a person’s gender or race is or what background they may hold, you have demonstrated to this community that everyone is capable of succeeding, everyone can achieve great things. You |