Women in Focus Inc. presented 23 scholarships to area scholars at the annual Women in Focus Scholarship Reception on Sunday, April 27, at the Goodman Community Center.
Each year, Women In Focus, Inc. awards scholarships to deserving college-bound students of color who have been selected by the WIF Scholarship Review Committee. The WIF Scholarship Reception, chaired by scholarship chair Donna Moreland, is an annual gathering for the scholars and their families, along with longtime WIF members and sponsors.
2025 Women In Focus Scholarships were presented to Angie Barrera Gonzalez, LaFollette High School; Alleanah Hancock-Jammeh, Madison West High School; Patrick-Poshi Kahite, Vel Philips Memorial High School; Jhonny Mejia, LaFollette High School; Yaridhza Nava Garcia, LaFollette High School and Lavell Rattliffe, Vel Philips Memorial High School.
2025 Memorial Scholarships were presented to:
- Julius Morgan Memorial Scholarship: Ornella Adanhou, Verona Area High School
- Gloria Jones Bey Memorial Scholarship: Lina Arach, Madison East High School
- Rose Ann Brown Memorial Scholarship: Yarielly Bautista Caballero, LaFollette High School
- Marlene Listwan Memorial Scholarship: Vanessa Carrillo, LaFollette High School
- Dr. Virginia Henderson Memorial Scholarship: Camila Cruz, Madison West High School
- Jan and Al Studesville Memorial Scholarship: Adrianne Farrow, UW Madison
- Jan and Al Studesville Memorial Scholarship: Keeley Nelson-Gray, Madison College
- Ladonna Smith Memorial Scholarship: Jaylen Eubanks, LaFollette High School
- Marilyn Ryan Memorial Scholarship: Fatou Kujabi, Madison East High School
- Gene Sturdevant Memorial Scholarship: Grace Huang, Madison West High School
At the 2025 Women in Focus Scholarship Reception, each scholar spoke briefly about their educational journey. 2020 WIF scholar Cris Cruz was a featured speaker and spoke of his journey before providing some wisdom to the new group of WIF scholars.
(Photo: Women in Focus Inc.)
The scholarships, totalling $82,500, were awarded to 23 scholars chosen from a pool of 64 applicants. The scholarships were worth $2,500 apiece — one scholarship was for four years, seven were for two years, and 15 for one year. This year’s Women in Focus scholars hailed from various Madison-area high schools including Verona, Madison East, La Follette, Vel Phillips Memorial, Madison West, Sun Prairie West, and Edgewood, according to a press release from Women in Focus Inc. One of the scholarships went to a UW-Madison student.
The 2025 Sponsored Scholarships presented at the event were as follows:
- ASHRO Sponsor: Julieta Chavez, Vel Philips Memorial High School
- Oak Park Place Sponsor: Destiny Flowers, Vel Philips Memorial High School
- Horizon Construction Sponsor: Eva Tiako, Madison East High School
- Exact Sciences Sponsor: Jaeda Walters, Vel Philips Memorial High School
- TruStage Sponsor: Deja Yang, Madison East High School
- Your Family Law Center Sponsor: Natalie Trampf, Edgewood High School
- Andy and Anna Burish Sponsor: Naaliyah Currie, Sun Prairie West High School
Women in Focus Inc., a long-standing organization of women focused on promoting educational excellence and the healthy development of children of color in the Madison area, has been providing scholarships to students of color for almost four decades. The group was founded in 1983.
All told, Women in Focus raised $75,000 for scholarships at their annual “I Have a Dream” Ball in January of this year. Next year, WIF will be hosting a special celebration for the 40th annual “I Have a Dream” Ball, which will be held Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.
