Isabella Wabindato of Ashland High School, Karen Soto of Beloit Memorial High School, Dija Manly of Madison La Follette High School, and Maya Blasingame of Madison Country Day School are the winners of the Kids Forward 2018 Race to Equity scholarships and will receive one-time scholarships to be used toward higher education expenses.
Scholarship applications were received from high school seniors throughout Wisconsin and applications were judged based on students’ ability to express the importance of racial equity in their community and how it has personally affected their lives. The winning students exhibited an understanding, knowledge, and passion for racial equity and social justice in their essays.
“Kids Forward is honored to present four scholarships to these commendable Wisconsin high school students,” said Ken Taylor, Executive Director of Kids Forward, in a statement. “These resilient young women remind us why we need to strive towards racial equity, and give us hope for a brighter and more just future for every child and every family in Wisconsin.”
The scholarships will be presented tonight at the organization’s annual fundraising event, Step Forward for Kids, at Boardman & Clark LLP.
The “Step Forward for Kids” program will also feature a presentation of Giraffe Awards to Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC), the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Institute’s Native Vote program, and Voces de la Frontera for their work to amplify the voices of communities of color and engage African-American, Native American, and Latinx communities in the electoral process.
