Karina Mechele Warren, Los Angeles Senior High
Nyla Modeliste, King-Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science
Elon Morris, Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets
Eric Cristian Musgrave, Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets
Jalen Noel, King-Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science
Joh Vonne D. Roberts, Hollywood Senior High Performing Arts Magnet
Edward Villanueva, Early College High School
Stacey Lee, UNCF Director of Program Events
Left to Right (front row): Larry Griffith, Senior VP of Scholarships and Programs
Elizabeth Armstead, King-Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science
Sarah Asiedu, Alexander Hamilton Senior High Music and Performing Arts
Jatoya Jackson, LAUSD/USC Media Arts
Biko Johnson, King-Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science
Toria Love, Compton High School
Jon Lewis Mabakata, William Howard Taft High School
Jonathan C. Maduike, Carson Senior High
The UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Empower Me Tour (EMT) awarded more than one million dollars in scholarships to Los Angeles area students who attended Friday’s EMT at Hyatt Regency LAX.
Fourteen high school seniors were surprised with $2,500 each, on the spot. Jalen Noel was thrilled when his name was called among the winners. “This scholarship will not just help me financially, but will be a step towards my career as an aerospace engineer,” says the graduating senior at King-Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science. “My only source of income is my mother which makes college hard to afford and that is why this scholarship has such a heavy impact on me. I’ll be the first-generation college student in my family,” he adds.
Toria Love was given up at birth by a mother who struggled with addiction. She was adopted by a 61-year-old woman whom she says is the only mother she knows. “I live in a low-income neighborhood and I don’t have access to any money for college but this opportunity will get me to where I want to be in the future and all I have to do is try,” says the Compton High School Senior who won the $2,500 merit scholarship.
Winners of the $2,500 award represented multiple schools in the Los Angeles area. Sarah Asiedu of Alexander Hamilton Senior High Music and Performing Arts; Joh Vonne D. Roberts of Hollywood Senior High Performing Arts Magnet; Eric Cristian Musgrave of Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets; Jonathan C. Maduike of Carson Senior High; Karina Mechele Warren of Los Angeles Senior High; Elon Morris of Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets; Jon Lewis Mabakata of William Howard Taft High School; Edward Villanueva of Early College High School; Jatoya Jackson of LAUSD/USC Media Arts; Biko Johnson, Elizabeth Armstead, and Nyla Modeliste of King-Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science.
EMT is a free, traveling college-and-career-readiness roadshow that provides a platform for high school students to earn on-site scholarships and admission to the nation’s top historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). UNCF is the largest scholarship provider to students of color in the United States, awarding more than $100 million annually in scholarships to more than 7,200 students across the country.
Through partnerships with the City of Los Angeles and national sponsors Wells Fargo, Target, P&G, the Walt Disney Company, and FedEx, UNCF’s Empower Me Tour offers the full college fair experience with access to recruiters from HBCUs, college prep workshops, dynamic presenters and award-winning educational experts.
Los Angeles is the last of four stops on the multi-city Empower Me Tour this fall. Other cities included New York, NY; Milwaukee, WI; and Fort Worth, TX.
For more information, visit EmpowerMeTour.org. You can also follow EMT on social media @UNCF and #EmpowerMeTour.
