Women In Focus, Inc. recognized 13 high school students chosen to receive 2016 “I Have a Dream” scholarships on Sunday, April 24, at the Radisson Twist on Madison’s west side.
Women In Focus, Inc. is a local non-profit dedicated to supporting the education of students of color. Each year, Women In Focus, Inc. (WIF) awards scholarships to deserving college-bound students at a special celebration. Every spring, Women In Focus (WIF) awards scholarships to students of color in the greater Madison community who have met educational criteria and have shown evidence of community service. Recipients of the WIF scholarships have gone on to pursue diverse career paths including business, professional careers, music, medicine, dentistry and art.
At the event, Women In Focus, Inc. awarded Continuing Education scholarships to:
Umaima Mohammed Saed – Al & Jan Studesville Scholar
Umaima is a first year student at Madison Area Technical College in the Liberal Arts program. Prior to arriving in the U.S., she and her family fled their country of Iraq to Malaysia as refugees in 2006 because it was an unsafe place to remain. She and her siblings attempted to get an education in Malaysia but the fees were too high that they could not afford to attend school – but this did not stop Umaima from an education; Umaima home studied, only being allowed to enter the school to take the exams. She studied hard and passed all of classes with a high GPA.
While in Malaysia, Umaima learned English so she could be successful in America. She completed her high school education at Madison West High School. Umaima does not allow the label of refugee to hold her back — she says that she is “lucky” to be part of the world’s 1% refugee population that has re-settled in the U.S.
Selina Armenta – Miss Annie Mae Scholar
Selina is currently studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison pursuing bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies and certificates in Criminal Justice and Chicano Latino Studies. Selina works at the RISE Law Center as a bilingual legal assistant and a facilitator for M.E.Ch.A. (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan). In 2015 she was the residential counselor and tutor for the PEOPLE Program.
The 2016 Women in Focus Inc. awarded 13 high school scholarships to:
Cindy Abrajan
Cindy is a student at LaFollette High School. She plans to study psychology with a goal of becoming a future child psychologist. She has carried a rigorous course load of Honors and Advanced Placement classes, as well as a three credit college course at UW-Madison through Youth Options. She is a member of the National Honors Society, National Society of High School Scholars, Pride Guide and the PEOPLE program. Additionally, she completed an internship at UW Hospital & Clinics during the summer of 2015.
Cindy’s academic accomplishments are even more impressive considering her involvement in extracurricular activities. She is a member of OLA (Orgullo Latino) Club and she has participated in multiple community service opportunities with the club. She began volunteering in elementary school where she worked with the younger children. She has served more than 400 hours of community service and continues that work today. On a weekly basis she reads to students in the classrooms at Glendale Elementary and Nuestro Mundo Community School. Her other interests and hobbies include soccer, volleyball, traveling, cooking, music and dancing.
Nanceny Fanny
Nanceny is a student at West High School. She plans to study nursing with a focus on women’s health issues and obstetrics. She has a strong drive to work with women in underserved communities and help undocumented immigrants. At present, Nanancy is a Certified Nursing Assistant at an assistant living facility, demonstrating her commitment and dedication to this career path. Her coordinator says about her, “Not only does Nanceny possess the ability to succeed in college, she has goals and a plan for her future. She is constantly seeking out opportunities to help her pursue a future career as a nurse or mid-wife.”
Nanceny’s extra-curricular activities include Muslim Student Union, Track and Field, Black Student Union, Wood Turning Club, Gardening, Diversity Alliance, Youth Court, Teen Council, DECA, SkillsUSA, Basketball, Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts and Boys and Girls Club of Dane County.
Cierra McCoy
Cierra is currently a student at La Follette High School. In addition to taking advance placement classes, Cierra commits additional time in school to participate in the Black Student Union where she assists with community service projects and fundraising, Restorative Justice where she helps to restore peace where there is conflict, and Youth Court where she works to provide alternative consequences to those commonly given by the police department. Cierra also extends her involvement to the community through the PATCH program where she works with healthcare professionals to help build strong relationships with their teen patients.
Cierra plans to major in Nursing with a dream of one day working in a clinic for people without health insurance. She feels that the amount of money someone has should not determine the level of quality healthcare he or she receives. Her compelled concern for others would not surprise Cierra’s reference who wrote, “The thing I admire most about Cierra is her commitment to a make a difference in this world. Her dedication and passion to help others at such a young age is refreshing to watch. She is a young lady who goes above and beyond in everything she does and is a person who believes in helping others.”
Hailee Milton
As a Martin Luther King Outstanding Young Person Award recipient, Hailee Milton has learned that there is nothing more priceless than serving, which is evident in her activities at Middleton High School and the wider community. She has participated in Blackhawk’s Church Mission trips, helped orphans in developing countries as a part of a Global Outreach program and also served on the Student Council.
Despite encountering hardships, she has been blessed to have a strong family support system and has a strong role model in her breast cancer survivor mother. She intends to pursue a major in design when she goes to college, to fulfil her dream to be a magazine editor. Having seen women and girls affected by the unrealistic body expectations portrayed in fashion magazines, she wants to use her voice to be of service to many “taking away labels such as skinny, fat, ugly, pretty, black, white and to accurately feature women with abilities rather than appearance”.
Robin Mwai
Robin is currently a student at La Follette High School. While working part time and maintaining a rigorous course load, Robin has still found time to be involved in extracurricular activities at school including Restorative Justice, student council, DECA, the varsity soccer team, and school newspaper. One of her own articles, “The Achievement Gap: As Seen Through the Eyes of a High School Student,” painted a picture of the gap’s effect on the entire educational school climate.
For Robin, the direction of her life was forever changed when she spent three years living in Kenya during her early teens. She gained a heightened consciousness and new found sense of purpose, which has resulted in a commitment to help those in need. To do so, she aspires to work in the field of physical therapy where she dreams of helping people living in poverty and third world countries regain a sense of independence and tackle life’s everyday demands.
Gregory Nelson
Gregory will graduate from Verona High School in June and his studies in college will prepare him to provide service to patients as a physical therapist. His longer-term goal is to own a physical therapy business. He will be the first in his family to attend college.
Courses Gregory studied while in high school included Medical Occupations Class, Health Education, Social Psychology and CNA certification all emphasized patient care. During his years at Verona High School he also worked to assist his family. His extracurricular activities included College Club, Art Club and a mentoring program. He still made time to serve his community through the Boys and Girls Club, Second Harvest Food Bank and tutoring at a Verona middle school.
Kingsley-Reigne Pissang
As an active student in her high school, Kingsley-Reigne participates in numerous programs such as the Black Student Union; the Millionaire’s Club and Student Government. She is also the first African American to be elected Student Body Class President at West High School. Her other accomplishments include being a University of Wisconsin People Program Scholar, recipient of the James C Wright Leadership Award and the Rotary Certificate of Leadership Recognition.
Driven by her motto “you can be whomever want, just aspire to become better each and every day”, she is on a clear path to achieve a higher education. She will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue a major in Humanities and a minor in Spanish. After, she intends to continue her education at an Ivy League Law School to become a minority defense attorney specializing in international law. This is an area she is very passionate about as she is moved by reports about discrimination in the African American communities involving social injustices, lack of equality and overall racism.
Guadalupe Salmeron Iberra
Guadalupe is a senior at East High School with plans to matriculate at Edgewood College this fall. She has set clear goals for majoring in political science to prepare herself for a community focused career advocating for Latinos struggling with the immigration process. While in high school, she has held leadership positions and served extensively in her community. Her activities have included participating in the Latino Student Union, where she has been a grant writer among other activities, serving as Student Council Senior Class President, and being a member of the Boys and Girls Club Teens of Promise program.
She has been a summer camp counselor at East Side Express, a volunteer at the River Food Pantry supervising children and serving others, and a volunteer household assistant with the East Madison/Monona Coalition of the Aging. Guadalupe’s achievements have been recognized as she has received prestigious awards such as the South Madison Rotary Outstanding Student Award and she is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.
Cheyenne Trilling
Cheyenne Trilling has excelled in academics and in sports throughout her high school career at Verona High School. She has demonstrated leadership as team captain for Varsity Track and Basketball, has served as Verona Girls Basketball Booster Club, managed the Varsity Football team, has been a delegate to Badger Girls State and served as a Student Mentor for the past two years.
Cheyenne has also made her mark as a community volunteer, serving at the Verona and St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantries and coaching youth as a counselor for Basketball and Track Camps. Her long term goal is to work as an FBI agent within her community, on the Native American reservations. To this end, she plans to major in Criminal Justice or Criminology. She writes that she has “seen first-hand on my South Dakota reservation, the victims of drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse, violence and crime. I have seen the lack of role models for the young; especially for teen girls. I want to be a part of the solution.”
Tenzin Tseyang
Tenzin has a dream. Her dream is to become the first person in her family to achieve the education to attend and graduate from college. She is a senior at James Madison Memorial High School and plans to attend UW Whitewater in a five year program to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Masters in Professional Accountancy. Tenzin’s parents grew up in India as Tibetans-in-exile and did not have the opportunities for education that their daughter has.
Tenzin herself admits that she does not have a lengthy resume filled with extracurricular and volunteer activities because she has selflessly taken on major responsibilities at home during her high school years. She lives with her mother, grandmother and younger sister and is the only one in the family who is able to drive her sister to school and her grandmother to appointments. She has taken classes online to accommodate her schedule.
Lanier Walls
Lanier Walls is currently a student at East High School. He plans to attend college in the fall and will major in business administration or criminal justice. Lanier states that his number one reason for wanting to advance in life is to become successful for himself and for his entire family. Lanier is a member of King’s Journey, which is a support group to assist student of color to succeed. To be a member of these groups, students must be in AP or AVID classes.
Lanier has along with the rest of the Madison East Varsity Football team assisted at a food drive at Emerson School and also served Thanksgiving food to children there. He has also volunteered at Willy Street Fair. For the past two years, he has been employed at Michael Frozen Custard where he works 15-20 hours per week.
Deborah Wawa
Deborah currently attends LaFollette High School. An honors student, she has won many awards including the Martin Luther King, the Youth Internship and Seed to Table Awards. Very active in her church, she has always had a servant’s heart and was encouraged to love and be passionate about what she does. Deborah has served in her church’s welcome center, supervised children during services and participated in the Church Youth Internship Program.
She intends to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management at Northern Michigan University and later to enroll in the Culinary Institute of America, fulfilling her dream of working in the culinary and hospitality industry. Her determination to be successful in this area is fueled by having cooking in her blood and seeing her father working and enjoying being a caterer. In her words, “I do not want to be a wimpy chef, but the best celebrity chef”.
Peter Wolf
Peter Wolf is currently a student at La Follette High School. He plans to attend college in the fall and major in Philosophy while also completing pre-med requirements. Peter’s life goal is to become a medical doctor.
Peter has earned numerous academic Awards and Honors to include Outstanding Academic Achievement in French, Spanish, English, and Health and he earned High Honor Roll in grades 9, 10 and 12 he also became a member of the National Honor Society is his junior and senior years of high school.
