Two years after schools reopened following the devastating Coronavirus pandemic, the graduation rate for high school seniors in Los Angeles is 87%. The Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce Education Fund and Foundation honored 10 high school seniors who achieved that milestone at their 24th Annual Ed Fund Scholarship Reception.
“We’re always proud of the exceptional seniors that are in our Ed Fund Scholarship program. We’re particularly impressed with these scholarship recipients who persevered through over a year of virtual learning when the schools shut down and managed to graduate on time,” GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale said. “That kind of determination will serve them well in business and in life.”
Hale is founder of G&C Equipment Corporation, one of the country’s most successful construction equipment leasing and selling companies. Hale developed GLAAACC Education Fund & Foundation in 1999 as a vehicle to support and encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs and business professionals.
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The GLAAACC Ed Fund Program includes a college-prep course that provides youth from disadvantaged backgrounds with academic support, financial assistance, and leadership training to become college graduates. The course leverages the expertise of board members from companies such as Southern California Edison, SoCal Gas, Microsoft and JP Morgan Chase to help students who have demonstrated strong academic potential and a commitment to success, but who have knowledge or opportunity gaps in reaching their potential.
The course fosters skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. It also emphasizes proficiency with technology and has a strong mentoring component that focuses not only on the mechanics of completing scholarship applications, but also goal setting, exploring careers, and succeeding once enrolled in college.
Since its inception, the GLAAACC Ed Fund has awarded over $600,000 to 169 scholarships to minority high school seniors exhibiting entrepreneurial aspirations.
Newly elected Culver City School Board member Triston Ezidore gave the keynote address at the 2023 scholarship reception. At 19, Ezidore is the youngest elected official in history of Los Angeles County and the first Black male to serve on the Culver City Unified Board of Education. He assumed office on December 18, 2022, 18 months after graduating from Culver City Unified School District.
Currently a sophomore at USC, Ezidore urged the scholarship recipients not to allow their age to be a barrier to making a difference, to remain committed to following their passions and to give back to their community wherever possible. He spoke about his decision to run for the open seat at the Culver City school board.
“When it came time to see who would run, I didn’t hear of anyone that would be fully committed to this work,” Ezidore said.
“I did hear about people who would run to bring us backward and dismantle all the equity and social racial justice we as a community accomplished over the years. I thought that if I had the lived experience to bring a fresh perspective that the community requires, that it was my job to run.”
Ed Fund Scholarship Fund Chairman Eric Boyd vowed that support for the students would continue.
“The funds being awarded are just the beginning of the GLAAACC Foundation’s investment in our recipients and their future,” Boyd said.
“In short, we are here to stay, for as long as these stellar youth wish to continue the relationship. Ultimately, we hope that our recipients and their families will forever remain active, participating members of our GLAAACC Foundation family.”
The 2023 GLAAACC Education Fund Scholarship recipients include Hendra Benson/Jordan High School/California, State University Northridge; April Coleman/Hamilton High School/University of California, Los Angeles; Aamarah Gage/Crenshaw High School/California State University, Long Beach; Neena Harris/Washington Preparatory High School/University of Southern California; Chris Kariuki/Hamilton High School/University of California, Los Angeles; Hunter Langley/Susan Miller Dorsey High School/Morehouse College; Jovon Reed-Brown/George Washington Preparatory High School/University of California, Riverside; Leah Sheffield/Crenshaw High School/California State University, Northridge; Heaven Watson/Jordan High School/ California State University, San Jose; M’Kayla Weatherspoon/Dorsey High School/California State University, Long Beach.
For more information on the GLAAACC Education Fund, visit glaaacc.org.
