2021 Awardees

Cashmere Eaddy, Carver HSES
Professional dream: Lawyer
Debra Henri, Academy at Palumbo
Professional dream: Forensics
Jennielee Hilario, Murrell Dobbins
Professional dream: Fashion, journalism, or law
Mariama Barrie, George Washington
Professional dream: Physician Assistant
Victoria Williams, Science Leadership Academy, Beeber
Professional dream: Civil Engineer

2020 Awardees

Ami Doumbia, Science Leadership Academy
Professional dream: High school teacher or lawyer
Angela Smith, Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School
Professional dream: Psychologist
Carmen Moreno, Philadelphia High School for Girls
Professional dream: Pediatrician
Khyrah Blue, Pennsylvania Cyber Charter
Professional dream: A career in medicine

Our fifth awardee determined she needed to withdraw from the program.

Genesis Soto

2019 Award Winner
Genesis plans to become a financial consultant and help others manage and understand their finances.

Attending: La Salle University, Honors Program
Award Use: Tuition
Travel Stipend Use: TBD

Georjelis Rujano

2019 Award Winner
Georjelis dreams of a future where her foundation, La Luz De Aurora (The Light of Aurora), will reflect her love for her grandmother and benefit the people of her birth country, Venezuela.

Attending: Science Leadership Academy, Center City campus
Award Use: TBD
Travel Stipend Use: TBD

Jewels Lofland

2019 Award Winner
Jewels doesn’t know yet what she wants to study or what profession she’ll join. She’s waiting to get a closer look at her options.

Attending: West Chester University
Award Use: Tuition
Travel Stipend Use: TBD

Kipaji Miles

2019 Award Winner
Kipaji sought out preparatory programs in high school and used them as springboards to understand different professional paths, soon finding the one for her: nursing.

Attending: Neumann University
Award Use: Tuition
Travel Stipend Use: TBD

Nhi Vo

2019 Award Winner
Nhi has always been intrigued by the study of biology and medicine. In high school, an accident impacted her family and only heightened her desire to study both subjects in college.

Attending: Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School
Award Use: TBD
Travel Stipend Use: TBD

symone johnson

2018 Award Winner
Symone moved to Philadelphia from California with her family when she was in elementary school and started positioning herself for college right away.

Attending: Bloomsburg University
Award Use: Tuition
Travel Stipend Use: Travel between home and college (multiple trips)

serina franco

2018 Award Winner
Serina hopes to be a motivational youth speaker, formalizing the role she currently plays with friends and other young women she lives with and counsels.

Attending: Kensington Health Sciences Academy
Award Use: TBD
Travel Stipend Use: TBD

davina loibman

2018 Honorable Mention
Davina arrived at her JMB Award interview fully prepped—she and her grandmother, Davina's steady advocate and advisor, ran a mock interview the night before.

Attending: Penn State Main
Travel Stipend Use: Travel home for a funeral

Vicktoria Phanthavong

2017 Award Winner
Following a break with her family, Vicktoria kept her eye on her goal to attend college. She maintained her GPA and her commitment to her extracurriculars, including volunteering at her local library.

Attending: Dickinson College
Award Use: Tuition
Travel Stipend Use: Travel between home and college (multiple trips)

Qyideera Pasture

2017 Award Winner
Personal and familial challenges helped Qyideera develop a firm inner compass and a strong sense of what she values, who she is, and what she wants to be: a chef.

Attending: The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
Award Use: Tuition
Travel Stipend Use: Passport fees for Tour of France school trip

Angie Ortiz

2017 Honorable Mention
Angie moved with her family from Colombia to the United States when she was eight years old. Uncertain at first, she flourished academically and emotionally, opening herself to every opportunity.

Attending: Fairfield University
Travel Stipend Use: Travel home

KHanique Cowans

2017 Honorable Mention
Khanique's self-described natural drive has kept her on track, whether it was maintaining a 4.1 cumulative GPA or maintaining her positive attitude during trying times.

Attending: Bucknell University
Travel Stipend Use: Travel home

REFATUN MOMO

2016 Award Winner
Refatun aspires to receive a medical degree in the United States before returning to Bangladesh to open two hospitals—one for women and another for girls—groups she sees devalued and sidelined in her home country.

Attending: Saint Joseph's University
Award Use: Summer Hawks Program
Travel Stipend Use: Summer Hawks Program

NINA MCPHAUL

2016 Honorable Mention
When you meet Nina, you’re immediately struck by her poise, intelligence, warmth, and self-awareness. These traits have grown out of personal trials and familial health scares Nina’s faced with strength and fortitude and from her deep faith.

Attending: Howard University
Award Use: College visits

AMY CHEN

2015 Award Winner
Amy Chen wowed us from the moment we received her nomination from Chris Lehmann, the founding principal of Philadelphia's Science Leadership Academy (SLA).

Attending: Juniata College
Award Use: Tuition
Travel Stipend Use: Generation Progress event