The 2010 Scholarship Winners

Waveney Hudlin

Words cannot describe how excited and blessed I feel to have won this award! I remember telling friends and family about my dream to study at Stanford and hearing, “How are you going to pay for that?” Now, with the help of this scholarship, my dream will become a reality- and I am so grateful.

Stanford University is truly my idea of the perfect school: it provides an amazingly diverse academic and social experience, nestled in a beautiful suburban city where it’s perpetually spring. As an African American, I find it appealing that among U.S. research universities, Stanford has one of the top five highest rates of Black student graduation. As an aspiring teacher, I am excited that Stanford contains one of the US’ top schools of education. I look forward to exploring new ideas through the thriving undergraduate research programs, and adding my smooth sound to the Jazz Orchestra. I can’t wait to begin my journey there this fall!

Again, thank you so much for making an investment in me by helping to fund my education.

Tracy King

I first want to thank the Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Foundation, for supporting students in their efforts to pay for college. In these economic times, everyone appreciates assistant to meet his or her educational goals. When I receive the message that I was a winner for the MLK Scholarship, I was very happy. I felt my hard work and efforts throughout my high school years were finally being rewarded. As a high school student often times we feel overwhelmed and tired of the loads of work we are assigned every night. However, when I found out I won the scholarship I was satisfied and happy to know that my hard work was finally paying off. Next year, I will be attending North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. I plan on majoring in Graphic Design or Computer Programming.

Jasmin Lawrence

When I was contacted as a recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, I was ecstatic. I had been applying for tons of scholarships and had not yet received any of them. Just when I was about to give up on scholarships, the Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Foundation contacted me about my winnings.

During the fall of 2010 I plan to attend North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. I chose this institution because of its prominent Business and Economics School. While attending North Carolina A&T State University, I plan to major in management with a minor in rehabilitation Counseling. I am more than grateful to the foundation for this scholarship because I am now a step closer to having a successful college education at North Carolina A&T State University. I am confident that my future goals will be accomplished due to the assistance from the Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Foundation Scholarship.

Alexis C. Lewis

I am a senior at Herndon High School where I have focused on academics, athletics and community service. I love to stay active as evidenced by playing varsity basketball and participating in the band program for 4 years, volunteering with 2 different tutoring programs and being involved in the National English Honor Society and Keyettes. I feel that my experiences have helped me learn how to multi-task and be organized. These skills will be very important when I get to college.

I have been accepted at 8 different schools, but have not made a final decision regarding the school I will attend. Along with selecting a school that will allow me to pursue a degree in psychology or animal science, I am looking forward to continue to play basketball at the college level. My career goal is to become a clinical psychologist who works with children or a veterinarian.  

I am extremely honored to have been selected as a recipient of a Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Foundation scholarship and wish to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for this award.  Education has always been important to me. And receiving this scholarship will contribute to the realization of my dream of obtaining a college education.

Yuri Lopez

Hello, my name is Yuri Lopez and I am deeply honored to be chosen as one of the recipients of the MLK Cultural Foundation Scholarship. Receiving an award that is named after a leader who I have admired for his determination, integrity, and courage is very rewarding and motivating. With the help of this award, I know that my career goals and dreams will be a step closer to coming true.

As my high school career is coming to an end, I will be able to be the first one in my family to attend a university, help elevate my family’s standard of living, and leave my brothers a set of footprints to follow as I work hard to reach for the stars. I will be entering a new chapter of my life by attending George Mason University and majoring in Communications and/or Public Policy, where I will be able to grapple with some of society’s most urgent issues. Moreover, I will use this award to encourage, motivate, and overcome any challenge that will cross my way as I thrive for success.

DeAnna Miller

I am so highly honored to have been selected to receive this award, it is truly a blessing, and I thank god, for only he could have ordained such a beautiful spirit of outreach within this organization. I am a product of my community, and through this award I will work diligently to give back to the entity that molded and continues to mold everything I am and have the propensity to become. I chose to attend Howard University because I saw within this institution a place that stretched beyond the realm of what a school should be and revealed that which a school is: a place not only of learning, but of growth. I believe that Howard University is the best place for me to grow, develop the skills that I need to gain entrance into the medical field and ultimately restore my community with a mere fraction of all that it has given me.

Cedric Ndaw

When I found out that I was selected for this award, it was actually at first hard to believe. This is the first scholarship that I am awarded. For this, I am very thankful to the MLK Cultural Foundation for supporting me in my post secondary studies, where I will be making the biggest steps for a good future. It really makes me feel good knowing that the time and effort I put into applying for scholarships is paying off. I especially owe a lot to my Mom for staying behind me and helping me throughout this process. I chose to attend Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.

I chose this school because I believe that it will guide me to the right career path in the field of engineering. I am undecided which subject of engineering I would like to study because it is so broad. I am either thinking about bioengineering, mechanical engineering, or architecture. I feel like it is still early at this stage but VCU will help me make the right choice.

I hope that with the assistance of the MLK Foundation and other scholarships, I will be able to succeed in my post secondary studies. Once again I am very thankful for the support and may God bless you.

Fiyori Negussie

When I found out I was a recipient of the 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Foundation, Inc. Scholarship, I was ecstatic and extremely honored. I thank the foundation for providing such fantastic scholarships for young students, as it helps relieve the heavy burden of paying for college. I know for a fact that with this scholarship I have become even more determined to pursue my intended career in nursing. I am passionate about improving health care abroad and one of my long term goals is to someday work for UNICEF as a nurse. I plan to eventually open medical clinics in the rural towns of my dear country of origin, Eritrea. I am still debating on which college to attend but I am most certain I will be headed to Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU has a superb medical program and is more than capable of preparing me for my future endeavors. By attending VCU, I know I will constantly challenge myself to reach my full potential.

Christian Rivero

I am ecstatic and honored to be the recipient of the 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Foundation, Inc. Scholarship award. This award is very special to me because not only does it recognize my work within my community, most importantly, it is acknowledging that I am working towards my life goal of one day helping the underprivileged in a global scale.

My plans at this stage are to complete a double major in Political Science/Foreign Affairs and Economics. George Mason University offers one of the most respectable Economics program in the country and I consider myself fortunate to be able to attend. My long-term educational goals are to graduate from Georgetown law school, receive a PhD in political science, and receive a Masters Degree in economics.

Lastly, as I achieve my complete college education I plan to join the United Nations in order to eventually become a United Nations Diplomat overseas. The experience I will gain as a diplomat in coalition with my educational pedigree, I believe will be fundamental factors in achieving my childhood dream of creating a political and economical system that will develop my country into a prominent, self-sufficient nation.

Tchakalla Romeo

My name is Tchakalla Romeo and I am a senior at Robinson Secondary School. I am currently pursuing a major in music with a focus on Jazz Studies and Jazz performance on my main instrument the Piano. I am very happy for the scholarship award provided to me by the Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Foundation, Inc., as it greatly assists my family in helping to fund my education. Although, I am still awaiting responses from colleges, at this time Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is the top contender. The historical cultural setting of Richmond makes VCU a richly diverse college and provides a wealth of opportunities for young musicians to explore and develop their art in an urban environment. These are qualities I deem important in a college in order for me to grow successfully as a musician.