Annenberg Scholarship Recipients
Through a rigorous and careful review process, New Visions and the Leonore Annenberg College Scholarship Fund have awarded scholarships to the following students:
2010
Karina Melendez
Karina, an aspiring lawyer who is ranked second in her junior class of 100 students at Bronx School of Law and Finance, stands out for her extraordinary resilience and determination. At 10, she was diagnosed with bone cancer, and for three years, her schooling consisted of tutoring at home or in the hospital. She beat cancer and performed so well on state tests that she was able to rejoin classmates her age without repeating a year. But at 14, her family was evicted from her childhood apartment, and she had to live with her aunt, in homeless shelters and then go into foster care. Through it all, she put her energy into learning."A part of me always saw school as the one thing in my life I could control," she said in a recent interview. "Everything else in my life could fall apart, but no one could take that away from me."
2009
Camila Diaz
Camila, originally from the Dominican Republic, is in 11th grade and at the top of her class at Bronx Center for Science and Math. Camila has excelled as a student while dealing with the challenges of a physical disability with great poise and maturity. She attends the Scholars for Enhanced Opportunity Program at NYU, where she takes college-level courses. In the midst of her hectic schedule, she dedicates time to tutor fellow students who struggle academically. Camila is beginning her college search in earnest this fall; her dream school is Stanford University.
2008
Shiyah Trotman
Shiyah is a recent graduate of the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice in Brooklyn. In addition to demonstrating academic excellence throughout high school, Shiyah served as a peer tutor and student ambassador. He founded the Young Men’s Association at his school, a program designed to “empower young men, socially and academically, and to foster the bond of brotherhood.” In high school, Shiyah developed a strong interest in film through a program developed by the Ghetto Film School. He is now attending the University of Chicago and majoring in film studies.
Joivonnah Childs
Joivonnah has demonstrated great intellectual talent and discipline throughout her academic career, graduating as valedictorian of Bronx Center for Science and Math. In high school, Joivonnah sought out new challenges in class and in her free time. She excelled in Advanced Placement classes in calculus, statistics and economics. Outside of class, she was actively involved in peer tutoring, Building with Books and student government. Joivonnah is attending the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School for Business.