Congratulations to the 2021 EOP Scholars! View the full list of our 2021 Celebration Merit Scholars.
Shana Arius
Dr. Millie Russell Scholar
Major: Political Science, Internal Security
After graduating, I plan to work in either the FBI or the Department of Homeland Security as an intelligence analyst. For the entirety of my college career, as well as my last years of high school, I have immersed myself in the world of politics. This includes both international and domestic affairs. I am currently enrolled in French 102, as I plan to minor in the language. I am determined to help ensure the nation’s security with my understanding of politics and governments, history, and foreign language.
Ruba Ayub
Wells Fargo VP’s Achievement Scholar
Major: Sociology
After completing my undergrad at UW, I want to go to law school. I plan on becoming a criminal defense attorney. My dream is to work along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to make reforms in the American Criminal Justice System and be a part of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) nonprofit organization. I want to use my degree and potential to represent poor people wrongly convicted of crimes. I also see myself running for King County Council and Senate to better serve the needs of BIPOC communities.
Abril Beretta
Gerberding EIP Recognition Scholar
Major: Psychology
I would like to get a graduate degree in clinical psychology. I want to become a practicing psychologist, working with patients with PTSD and helping them cope with their trauma. I want to go to graduate school more than anything else because I believe it will give me the tools to be able to help others while also fulfilling my quest for more knowledge. I also want to get a Ph.D. not just to help or to learn, but to inspire others who feel alone and isolated in the world of academia because of how they look or how they talk and show that we can change this disparity.
Serenity Chan-Hamilton
Lydia A. Gonzales Recognition Scholar
Major: American Ethnic Studies, Law, Society, and Justice
After I get my degree I plan to get my Master’s in Social Work or to go to law school. I believe the best way I can give back to my community is becoming a social worker or a lawyer. I have always had a passion for social justice and helping others. Being a social worker or a lawyer will allow me to combine my two passions as my career.
Alejandro Diaz
President’s Achievement Award
Major: Bioengineering
I hope to be placed in a STEM teaching position in the Puget Sound or Eastern Washington. I believe education is an important tool in combating systems of oppression that deny people healthcare, education and employment. These systems target people from low-income backgrounds and people of color. I grew up in a Latinx community in Eastern Washington and worked in fields as a teenager picking cherries and thinning apples. Being the son of migrant farm workers, I have observed and experienced the challenges of living in America. While teaching, I plan to apply to medical school. My dream is to one day earn an M.D. or M.D.-Ph.D. and address the important health questions impacting marginalized communities in America.
Lauren Fernandez
Gary D. Kimura Family Recognition Scholar
Major: Social Welfare and Education, Communities, and Organizations
Minor: Music
After graduation, I plan to take a gap year to work in social services or the educational system in order to save money and to get a better understanding of the kind of work I might want to specialize in. This includes geriatrics, educational support, and community well-being. I plan to go back to UW to get my Master’s in Social Work to specialize in community work, with an emphasis in underrepresented populations. My ultimate dream is to either work in academic advising to help support students with achieving their goals and to be successful in the way they desire or to blend my background in music to provide arts-based therapy to the community.
Karina Flores-Camacho
Dr. Gabriel Gallardo Scholar
Major: Sociology and American Ethnic Studies
When I look at students in my community, Wapato, I think of the sign that is proudly displayed at the entrance of the school: “We have 95% graduation rate.” It brings a smile to my face, but then I think, “Why celebrate high retention rates when a majority of the students either work in the fields or follow wrong paths?” Rather than encouraging students to find their voice, believe in themselves, and challenge them, we do tracking that only helps a selected few, and we stick to the traditional western idea of “success” rather than accepting what success means to each individual. To change this, a goal of mine is to create programs that help students achieve their own version of success.
Angeline Francisco
Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program Legacy Recognition Scholar
Major: Civil Engineering
I plan to join the workforce as soon as possible, but if an opportunity to expand my education into a graduate program through a scholarship arises, I will do so. Other than that, I do plan to work in construction with a sustainability focus, such as environmentally sustainable buildings or transportation. Climate change solutions are a big reason why I do engineering because of how crucial it is to address them moving forward. My greatest goal currently is to become a project manager of my own company.
Alagie Jobarteh
Lorne Murray Recognition Scholar
Major: Biochemistry, Medical Laboratory Science
My goal is to become a medical doctor, primarily to help bridge the gap in terms of access to medical care in underserved communities both in the U.S. and in the Gambia. The latter is my home country and it is especially important to me because so many people die from diseases that can be easily treated in the United States. So I figured one of the ways to achieve this goal would be to open a free medical clinic in the future, potentially accessible to anyone in the community, regardless of income and social status.
Kayla Newcomer
Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program Scholar
Masters of Education: Social Work
After graduation, I hope to continue working at the intersections of social and racial justice, education equity, and public policy. I am passionate about programs and policies that are focused on understanding and eliminating systemic racism, especially in education and mental health. I will be seeking employment in local/statewide policy realms and antiracist equity work in higher education.
Kaylene Pang
Athletic Scholar
Major: Mechanical Engineering
After I graduate from UW in Spring 2021, I plan on working as an associate consultant at the global management consulting firm Bain & Company. I want to eventually get my MBA so that I can continue to expand my knowledge of the global economy and grow into a higher-level management role. I am passionate about leading by example and, especially as a proud Asian American woman, I want my career path and experiences to serve as motivation for other women of color to enter and thrive in male-dominated fields.
Kaila Red Bow (Oglala Lakota Sioux)
Knight Recognition Scholar
Major: Food Systems, Nutrition and Health
Minor: American Indian Studies
In the future, I hope to work with Indigenous peoples of North and South America. Applying my knowledge and networks concerning Indigenous knowledge and environmental knowledge, I hope to address the climate issue and the inequities that need to be addressed in the United States. With an emphasis on ‘Land Back’ and food sovereignty, I am excited to go forth with my college endeavors.
Tokala Tatum (Yakama Nation/Rosebud Sioux)
Robert T. and Nancy J. Knight Recognition Scholar
Major: Cinema and Media Studies
Now as a Junior in college, I know exactly what I want, and I am just trying to figure out how to get there. I am majoring in Cinema and Media Studies with a minor in DX ARTS, and they have been very helpful in my journey as a filmmaker and helped propel me outside of school to make huge strides in a filmmaking career. I have used these areas of study to help me make my own independent films, which I have made one a year since 2019. I am currently working on my third full length feature film for 2021.
Jesus Untalan
QFC Recognition Scholar
Major: Food Systems, Health, and Nutrition
Currently, I don’t know what plan for the future there is for me. My current major does not match my career outlook, but that’s ok. I want to be able to give back to the communities that raised me through the access of mental health resources along with technology security, as these two aspects of me is what I felt grew the most in my time at undergraduate.
Anna Vasyura
EOP Endowed Recognition Scholar
Major: Biology — Molecular, Cellular, Developmental
After graduating, I’d like to work in a research and/or development setting for a while before pursuing graduate school. I’m interested in translational research to improve treatments and delivery methods, but I am also interested in disease prevention and addressing socioeconomic factors that increase risk or are barriers to treatment for people through working in the realm of public health. I increasingly see the importance of prevention in health so we don’t have to get to treatment, which is unavailable for so many people.
Timmy Yang
Bank of America Recognition Scholar
Major: Computer Engineering
After graduating from the University of Washington, I plan to work as either a software developer or work on designing computer hardware. Eventually, I’d love to be able to transition into a career teaching computer science. I enjoyed working with students in the AP Computer Science class at Cleveland, and the current teacher is even working part-time as a software developer. I think being able to offer insight as to what working in industry is like for those learning the skills to become a part of it will be invaluable as a teacher.