Press Releases: Southern California
May 11, 2007
Students Achieve Academic Success In Spite of Personal Hardships
Kaiser Permanente Scholarships Encourage Young Women on Path to Higher Education
PASADENA, Calif. – Just as Alexis Adams was starting high school, her mother was killed by a gang. Her dad had been killed a year earlier. Today, Alexis works hard to inspire her younger brother Albert to stay in school and out of the street life.
Jessica Macias was also orphaned at the age of 10, one of four children, left to be raised by an older brother. Today she is studying at Harvey Mudd College through the Upward Bound program, and has interned with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Drugs and AIDS took Amanda Daniel's mother from her; Alzheimer's took her grandfather. Today, Amanda’s goal is to become a teacher, and as a professor of African American Studies, to bring knowledge, hope and pride to her young students.
Alexis, Jessica and Amanda are among 19 young women from East San Gabriel Valley high schools who will each receive $1,000 Jean Marie Carpenter Scholarship from Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Outreach Program in Baldwin Park. The scholarships are awarded based on the recipient’s ability to overcome adversity and remain focused on their education
The students will be feted at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 11, at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, 14635 Baldwin Park Towne Center in Baldwin Park. The keynote speaker will be Univision/KMEX-34 news reporter Norma Roque.
"These remarkable young women are all blazing individual paths despite encountering some enormous obstacles early in life," said Diana M. Bontá, PhD, RN, Vice President of Public Affairs for Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region. "These scholarships will provide a small boost toward completing their college educations."
Scholarship recipients include: Nadia Arreola, Areli Briceño, Liliana Casillas, Vanessa Casillas, Victoria Fudge, Dora Alicia Gomez, Verónica Guzman, Cynthia Horta, Jordan-Britnie Kline, Gilda Lopez, Ana Luevano, Ana Mateo, Carolina Medina, Carmen Rodriguez, Andrea Valenzuela, and Lina Voong.
The late Jean Marie Carpenter founded Kaiser Permanente's Educational Outreach Program, established numerous educational programs at the Watts Counseling and Learning Center, and served as president of the Baldwin Park Unified School District.
Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Outreach Program provides academic and support services to primarily Latino and low-income youth in the San Gabriel Valley. It is one of the many community benefit programs and services funded by Kaiser Permanente as part of its more than $250 million annual Southern California commitment to improving the health of the community in which it serves.
"These remarkable young women are all blazing individual paths despite encountering some enormous obstacles early in life," said Diana M. Bontá, PhD, RN, Vice President of Public Affairs for Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region. "These scholarships will provide a small boost toward completing their college educations."
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region includes more than 49,900 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,000 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at kaiserpermanente.org.
