Press Releases: Southern California
June 10, 2008
Students Clocked 9,876 Combined Hours of Community Service to Make a Positive Difference in Local Communities
Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center Announces Recipients of Community Leadership Scholarship Awards
LOS ANGELES – Ten students, who performed nearly 10,000 hours of combined community service, will receive Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center's 2008 Bill Coggins Community Leadership Scholarship Award. The students will be honored at the 36th Annual Pursuit of Excellence Dinner at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, at the Hacienda Hotel, 525 North Sepulveda Blvd., Crystal Ballroom, in El Segundo.
The diverse group of students, while maintaining cumulative grade point averages in the 3.5 range, demonstrated the proverb "where there's a will, there's a way" by incorporating volunteerism into their lives. "I am always amazed and gratified by all the great community work the students have completed and am pleased to be able to support their work with this award," said Joanne A Robinson, M.Ed., executive director for the Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center. "The dedicated young men and women clocked long hours mentoring, educating, advocating and making a positive difference in their communities."
The Center's scholarships, ranging from $500 to $1,500, are awarded to college-bound graduates who are achieving academic success and giving back to the community. The scholarship program named in honor of Bill Coggins, the founding director of the Center, was established to encourage students to participate in community service and illustrate leadership skills while pursuing higher education.
Nine students attend schools located throughout Los Angeles County and one is enrolled in New Orleans. A brief profile of each student follows and in-depth interviews with the students can be arranged.
- Jesse M. Batres of El Sereno served 1,000 hours volunteering at the Golden Rule Community Development Corporation. As a member of the youth advisory board, he advocates for and educates the community about affordable housing. Jesse, a senior at Schurr High School in Montebello, maintains a 3.5 GPA. He will attend UCLA.
- Tyffany Chen of West Los Angeles attends UCLA and is pursuing dual degrees in Biology and in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. She donated 920 service hours. Tyffany teaches dance and culture to girls adopted from China. As the founder of Bruin Initiative, she provides tutoring and SAT prep for low-income students.
- Mariam C. Gomez of South Los Angeles is a senior at King Drew Medical Magnet in Watts and will attend California State University, Long Beach. She volunteered in a dental clinic at the VA Hospital and as an assistant to the teaching staff at Charles Drew Head Start. Mariam has a 3.5 GPA and contributed 514 hours of community service.
- Melanie D. Johnson of Redondo Beach is the founder of Friendship Circle at Redondo Union High, where she is a student. The club addresses social tolerance between students with and without special needs. Ranked in the top three of her class, Melanie has a 4.42 GPA and plans to attend UCLA in the fall. She served 420 volunteer hours.
- Wingshan Lo of San Diego is enrolled at Western University of Health Sciences and is studying osteopathic medicine. She volunteered more than 100 hours between the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to address the language barrier and healthcare needs among the Asian Pacific Islander community.
- Alma Sorayda Martinez of South Los Angeles has performed 1,695 hours of service. She maintained a 3.50 GPA while lettering in four varsity sports. Alma is a student at King Drew Medical Magnet and plans to attend California State University, Long Beach. She is active in LAPD's Juvenile Impact Program and is a lieutenant in the Explorers.
- Meryl B. Moilov of Rancho Palos Verdes is a freshman at California State University in Long Beach. She founded "Roof Rockin," an annual homeless awareness concert and volunteer fair. At the California Conservation Corps, Meryl educated youth about workplace safety and environmental responsibility. She performed 1,700 service hours.
- Brandon Joseph Earl Rouzan-Thomas of Los Angeles served 300 hours as a volunteer at the Jenesse Center, the oldest domestic violence intervention program in Los Angeles. He founded, "Reading is Believing," a library at the Jenesse’s shelter. Brandon attends Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana and majors in Biomedical Engineering.
- Kristen M. Victor of Inglewood is a senior at Morningside High School and will attend UCLA in the fall. Kristen served as a volunteer in the emergency department at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles and at the McKinley Street Group Home in Los Angeles. She maintained a 3.38 GPA while clocking 1,147 hours of community service.
- Karla Washington of Los Angeles, a sophomore at Santa Monica College, worked 2,080 hours as a volunteer at the Second Chance 4 Me Sober Living Home for Men. Karla, a single working mom, maintained a 3.30 GPA. She is working toward realizing her dream – to establish a nonprofit to help girls achieve their goals.
For more than 40 years, the Center has offered free or low-cost counseling, educational therapy, summer camps, and preschool for families living in the greater Watts area. The families need not be members of Kaiser Permanente to take advantage of the Center’s services.
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.
