Scholarships

The Girls Inc. Lucile Miller Wright Scholarship program was created in 1992 when the female pilot and long-time supporter gave a bequest for scholarships for young women. Since 1993, nearly $6 million in scholarships have made post-secondary education more accessible to over 800 high school teens across the United States and Canada. Scholarships are awarded annually and are open to Girls Inc. participants in the 11th and 12th grades.

In 2022, Girls Inc. and the family and friends of Suzanne Patmore Gibbs proudly announced a scholarship fund through Girls Inc. commemorating Suzanne Patmore Gibbs.

Also in 2022, The Serendipity/Fund GIIC scholarship was made possible by a generous donation from an anonymous GIIC board member and their spouse.

Girls Inc. Scholars are outstanding young women selected for their academic achievements and community service, and for exemplifying the Girls Inc. mission of inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. For other girls, they are powerful role models.

For more information, please contact Director of Programs, Natalie Duarte.

2022 GIRLS INC. SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Iris Phillips was awarded a $20,000 Girls Inc. National Scholarship and $20,000 Serendipity Fund/GIIC Scholarship in 2022 as a 12th grader at Encinal High School. Iris graduated from the Eureka! program and volunteered 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.

Annie Liu was awarded a $20,000 Girls Inc. National Scholarship as an 11th grader at Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC). Annie 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 and plans to major in business management.

Elvira Lu was awarded a $25,000 Girls Inc. National Scholarship as a 12th grader at Alameda High School. Elvira is another proud graduate of the Eureka! program and 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.

Jenna Chan was awarded a $20,000 Serendipity Fund/GIIC Scholarship as a 12th grader at Alameda High School. Jenna participated in Eureka! and Generation Giga Girls. 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. Jenna hopes to one day develop medical technology, and eventually to become an oncologist or orthopedic surgeon.

Meron Ephrem was awarded a $20,000 Serendipity Fund/GIIC Scholarship as a 12th grader at Encinal High School. Meron graduated from Eureka! and was also a volunteer in the 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 served as co-president of the Black Student Union at Encinal High and will be attending UC Irvine and majoring in physics or the physical sciences. Meron is especially fascinated by outer space and intends to pursue a career in space science.