Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s Scholarships Program chair Cindi Segalem, second row, far left, congratulates recipients, front row, from left, Momal Afzal, Selene Prado-Rodrigues, Jacqueline Inclan, Cassandra Affinito and daughter, Hayoun Lim and Gilbert Arcilla; middle row, from left, Segalem, Karina Simpson, Juan Lopez Mendez, Darrel Muonekwu, Marcy Tegtmeier, Paramveer Singh, Jonathon Bayle, Aaliyah Karunaratne and Summer Hadla; and back row, from left, 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.
This year, 42 candidates aspiring clinical psychologists, mechanical engineers, physicians and political scientists have overcome challenges and are recipients of $172,500 in scholarships. Several are returning recipients.
High school awardees include Momal Afzal and Sumbal Ghafoor from Pinole Valley High School, in Pinole; Jason Frost from Alhambra in Martinez; Aaliyah Karunaratne and Paramveer Singh, from Pittsburg High; Melissa Salmeron Pedroza, from John F. Kennedy High in Richmond; Jonathon Bayle, Darrel Muonekwu and Selene Rodriguez, from Concord High; Hayoun Lim, of College Park in Pleasant Hill; Jerry Lai, from Monte Vista in Danville; and Michael Yao, from Dougherty Valley in 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, from Los Medanos College in Pittsburg; Gilbert Archilla, Olivia Blea, Brittany Chauvin and Justine Overmyer, from Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill.
Additionally, the Spotlight Scholarship, renewable each year, is awarded to students who show particularly strong focus on educational goals leading to a career path in their chosen field.
Recipients are Sharof Abdugapparov, of UC Irvine; Dannesha Lewis, from Sacramento State; Leaje Morris and Allison Spencer, from UC Berkeley; Diane Neypes, of Azusa Pacific University; Eric Wagoner, from Los Medanos College; and Azeema Yahya, from UC Davis.
The Spotlight On You Scholarship addresses vocational and technology education, and this year’s recipients are Monique Blot, of the Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts, Concord, and Alysha Houston, from Diablo Valley College.
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 Saint Mary’s College in Moraga to pursue a major in accounting.
The Norma Dresser Field of Dreams Scholarship benefits students with visual impairment as they work toward their educational goals. Karina Simpkins, who will attend San Jose State to study hospitality management, is this year’s recipient.
The multi-year Mardis Preciado Memorial Scholarship is for a student who received a one-year scholarship from the Assistance League in May 2016 and has achieved a 2.8 GPA in his or her first year in college.
The 2016-2017 recipient is Lillian Hunter-Reay, a freshman at UC Santa Cruz. She is working toward a double major in technology information management, a combination of computer science and business, as well as Spanish.
New this year, the Judy Oliphant Memorial Scholarship goes to Sophie Zhang, a graduate of San Ramon Valley High School and currently attending Princeton University with a major in economics.
For more information, visit diablovalley.assistanceleague.org.
