Oakland Promise Scholars head for UC
July 31, 2017 •
From left to right: Oakland Promise Scholar Jaevion Reed; Oakland Unified School District Deputy Chief Bernard McCune; President Napolitano; East Bay College Fund Executive Director Diane Dodge; Oakland Promise Scholar Aliyah Dunbar; UCOP Vice President for Student Affairs Robin Holmes-Sullivan; Anthony Dunbar, Aliyah’s father; and UCOP Associate Vice President for Student Development and Engagement Jerlena Griffin-Desta.
On July 27, President Napolitano awarded college scholarships to five UC-bound Oakland students in recognition of their academic achievements and volunteer service to their communities.
The recipients of the Oakland Promise Scholarships will each receive $4,000 per year, over four years, for their UC studies.
Napolitano personally congratulated the awardees at a celebration lunch in the Franklin building, and gave each student a sweatshirt emblazoned with the name of their UC campus.
“Each of you has shown a commitment to making Oakland’s communities better,” Napolitano told the students. “I look forward to hearing about your continued contributions as you advance through your studies at UC.”
Napolitano launched the scholarship program in 2014 as part of her UC Oakland Partnership Initiative, which aims to strengthen ties between UCOP and the Oakland community. The scholarship program is administered in partnership with the East Bay College Fund, a nonprofit organization that expands college access and opportunity.
To date, 22 students from 11 Oakland high schools have received Oakland Promise scholarships from UCOP. To be eligible, students must have graduated from an Oakland high school and be qualified for the university’s Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, which covers most college expenses for students whose total annual family income is $80,000 or less.
Read full article, which includes a short profile of each scholarship recipient.
