Five GIIC Teens Awarded College Scholarships

Iris is completing her fifth year in the Eureka! Teen Achievement program and currently volunteers at GIIC. She credits Girls Inc. with helping her become mentally and physically strong, which translated into success in her athletics and other pursuits. Iris was inspired by the powerful female role models she met during Eureka!, including Nurse Yvette Ayon, and credits the Eureka! workshops she took at College of Alameda with sparking her interest in science and medicine. Iris is very involved with her church and is an accomplished water polo and basketball player. She will be attending St. Olaf College in Minnesota and majoring in nursing, with the goal of completing a master’s degree and becoming a registered nurse.

 

Jenna is a graduate of the Eureka! program and participant in Generation Giga Girls, our data analytics program. She credits Girls Inc. with teaching her to be ambitious, confident, and bold in her pursuits. The Eureka! experience empowered and challenged her emotionally and mentally through swim lessons, various field trips, and STEM courses at College of Alameda. What Jenna enjoyed most about the Girls Inc. experience was the sisterhood of support she shared with the teens in her cohort. Jenna volunteers with the Alameda Food Bank and enjoys fencing and martial arts. She plans on studying bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, or computer science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall. Jenna hopes to one day develop medical technology, and eventually to become an oncologist or orthopedic surgeon. 

 

Meron graduated from Eureka! in the fall and has been a volunteer in our Operation SMART (Science, Math, and Relevant Technology) program for elementary aged girls. At Girls Inc., she developed her confidence in and passion for STEM subjects through the coursework and projects that are part of the Eureka! curriculum. Meron also learned the importance of having mentors, especially for young girls who often do not have exposure to STEM. In addition to her love of science, Meron is a life-long artist currently focusing on digital art. She serves as co-president of the Black Student Union at Encinal High and plans on attending UC Irvine in the fall and majoring in physics or the physical sciences. Meron is especially fascinated by outer space and intends to pursue a career in space science.

 

Annie has participated in Eureka!, Passport to Success, Ethical Fashion Show, and Generation Giga Girls. She was also selected to join the Girls Inc. National Teen Advocacy Council where she learned about and advocated for issues affecting girls and teens. Through Ethical Fashion Show, Annie gained confidence and learned public speaking skills. Her Eureka! job shadow at League of Women Voters solidified her interest in community advocacy. Annie was also accepted into the Youth Advisory Council for the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, working on social justice projects. She hopes to one day lead a nonprofit dedicated to gender equality and fighting for girls’ and women’s issues. Annie will be the first in her family to attend college next year and plans to major in business management. Top on her list of colleges is Carnegie Mellon University.

   

Elvira is another proud graduate of the Eureka! program and current volunteer at GIIC. She also participated in Generation Giga Girls. Being in an all-girl environment with the same group of girls for five years helped Elvira gain confidence and inspired her to be ambitious in pursuing her dreams. She credits the Girls Inc. experience with developing her leadership skills which she applied as class president for four years at Alameda High School. It was through her Eureka! job shadows that Elvira discovered her passion for technology and design and learned that she would like to work as a Project Manager. Elvira will be attending the University of Southern California’s (USC’s) Iovine and Young Academy, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Arts, Technology, and the Business of Innovation.