Dachenie, FOCRLS’s Class of 2022 awardee of our “It Takes a Village” Multi-Year Scholarship, is a member of the UMASS Amherst Class of 2026 preparing to attend medical school.

“My main goal in life still remains to be a surgeon, except the one thing that changed is that after arriving at college and after beginning to learn and explore, I also took an interest in humanitarian global aid as well. The ‘It Takes a Village’ Scholarship has helped me with my financial burden and enabled me to get the most out of my college experience for which I am and will eternally be grateful. I am even more blessed and grateful that it will continue to help me financially with the rest of my college career. So far my journey with the goal to increase the statistics of black physicians has not been easy, but actually way harder than expected. Yet, despite the hardships my vision remains the same for this reason. I always remind myself that my future patients need me. After college I plan on going to medical school and continue the journey that will lead me to become a general surgeon. To the donors, thank you for making an impact on my journey and for enabling me the financial support to pave the path for a better future for humanity. For the youth ARE the future.”

Photo courtesy of Dachenie

The “It Takes a Village” Multi-Year Scholarship is sponsored by FOCRLS.

David is our Class of 2019 awardee of the “100 by 100” STEAM Scholarship for Mathematics. He graduated from Brown University in 2023 with a B.S. in computational biology and is now a software engineer at Google.

“The FOCRLS “100 by 100″ Scholarship allowed me to be a lot more at ease during my time at Brown University. This scholarship provided the financial support that I needed so that I would not have to take out loans during my freshman year. Not having to worry about being in debt made my life more comfortable and gave me more time to focus on my studies instead.”

Photo courtesy of David

The “100 by 100” STEAM Scholarships are sponsored by FOCRLS and members of the Cambridge business community.

Ashia, our CRLS Class of 2014 awardee of the Mary Frances Monti Scholarship, holds a BA in Food Studies & Policy Studies from Syracuse University, where she researched components of equitable food systems. Since April of 2023, she has been a food writer for SELF Magazine, promoting delicious, nutritious, accessible recipes and writing about food in cultural celebrations such as Juneteenth. She previously wrote for Food & Wine and other print and digital publications. A food justice advocate, Ashia also has her own online platform, Nourished Palate, where she supports community initiatives and interviews Black visionaries in the food world.

“Each scholarship that I received during my journey entering undergrad, including the FOCRLS one, made a huge impact. Whether it went toward tuition, buying supplies, or textbooks, each dollar represented an investment in my future.”

Photo courtesy of Ashia (in Portugal, where she interviewed a restaurateur for Food & Wine)

The Mary Frances Monti Memorial Scholarship is sponsored by
Neil & Kathleen Rosenburg.

Katya, the 2019 awardee of the Mary Frances Monti Scholarship, is working on her master of social work at the Columbia School of Social Work online advanced standing program on a clinical track with a focus on children, adolescents, and families.

A 2023 graduate of Simmons University, Katya is already a Case Manager at Reimagine Counseling. “This started as an internship for one of my classes, but I stayed on as an employee. They are a counseling clinic based in Quincy, Massachusetts, and specialise in individual, couples, family, and group therapy. I have been with Reimagine for almost a year and a half,” she told us.

“The scholarship I received via FOCRLS has made it so I am able to pursue my master’s and work towards licensure in my field. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to further my education and am excited to continue to work with and serve those in need.”

Photo courtesy of Katya

The Mary Frances Monti Memorial Scholarship is sponsored by
Neil & Kathleen Rosenburg.

Asif, FOCRLS’s CRLS Class of 2017 awardee of our “It Takes a Village” Multi-Year Scholarship, graduated in 2021 from Boston University with a degree in computer science. He’s now a software engineer for Chewy, the pet supplies ecommerce company, as well as a mentor through CodePath, a nonprofit dedicated to helping underrepresented students prepare for careers in the tech field.

“I came to the U.S. in January 2016, started in CRLS right away, then graduated in 2017. Coming from an immigrant family, we couldn’t afford the tuition for my college, so, I was very focused on getting as many scholarships as possible. Thanks to CRLS resources, I applied to 20+ scholarships and received 4 of them totaling about $15K, including the ‘It Takes a Village’ Scholarship from FOCRLS. The scholarships helped me tremendously during my time in college. I could focus more on my academics and other extracurricular activities and manage my own expenses rather than worrying about money.”

Photo courtesy of Asif

The “It Takes a Village” Multi-Year Scholarship is sponsored by FOCRLS.

Mikaëla, our CRLS Class of 2022 awardee of the Cheri Kamen Memorial Scholarship in the Humanities is a member of the Princeton University Class of 2026. She’s developing her commitments to law, languages, equity, and justice.

“At Princeton University, I have had a variety of wonderful opportunities and have joined numerous organizations such as the Princeton Pre-Law Society and Princeton Students for Immigrant Empowerment, the latter of which I am the vice president. I have had such great experiences being able to gain exposure in the world of law and the multitude of ways of helping those who are disadvantaged, such as various translation projects in French and Spanish. My scholarship from Friends of CRLS was used towards my tuition, and it was of great help! I will always be grateful for the recognition, help, and generosity offered by the Friends of CRLS program.”

Photo courtesy of Mikaëla

The Cheri Kamen Memorial Scholarship in the Humanities is sponsored by
Ramie Targoff & Stephen Greenblatt.

Ashrafur, FOCRLS’s CRLS Class of 2021 awardee of the “100 by 100” Cambridge Business Community STEAM Scholarship for Engineering, is a member of the Northeastern University Class of 2025.

“The FOCRLS Engineering scholarship helped me out a ton in my first year at Northeastern because it lifted financial pressure off of my shoulders which let me participate in various different activities instead of doing a work-study. I availed the time to try out clubs ranging from TV filming to making free toys for underprivileged youths in Roxbury to partaking in creating an electric car for F1 hybrid racing competition. Now I am actively participating in a volunteering program where we teach elementary and middle school students Lego robotics to pique their interest in STEM and also participate in a club called BAJA which is the same as Electric racing but non-electric. I think that having the time to participate in those activities in my first year helped me find my interests and hobbies. I am very thankful for receiving the scholarship!”

Photo courtesy of Ashrafur

The “100 by 100” STEAM Scholarships are sponsored by FOCRLS and members of the Cambridge business community.

Sagyan, the 2019 awardee of the CambridgeSeven STEAM Award, is a 2023 UMass Amherst graduate with a degree in computer science. “After graduation, I am working as a full-time Software Engineer at TD Securities, the investment banking side of TD bank. I had initially interned there last summer and have taken the return offer.” 

“The financial support provided by the FOCRLS scholarship has relieved the burden of tuition fees, textbooks, and other expenses. Moreover, it has given me the flexibility to focus on my studies and explore opportunities such as internships, which have been very meaningful in giving me hands-on experience in my field of computer science.”

Photo courtesy of Sagyan

The annual CambridgeSeven STEAM award is sponsored by CambridgeSeven, the world-renowned architecture and design firm headquartered in Cambridge.

Nellisha, a 2019 awardee of a CRLS Core Values Scholarship, is a 2023 graduate of Howard University. She has accepted a job at CBRE, a global leader in commercial real estate services and investments.

“My FOCRLS scholarship contributed heavily to my freshman year funds. Because of the scholarship, I was able to minimize my debt as a first-year student at Howard and not burden my parents with taking additional loans during my freshman year. I’m very grateful for FOCRLS, and I hope the next scholarship recipient(s) are able to similarly benefit.”

Photo courtesy of Nellisha

The CRLS Core Values Scholarship is sponsored by FOCRLS.

Jake, our CRLS Class of 2022 awardee of the “100 by 100” Cambridge Business Community STEAM Engineering Scholarship, is a member of the Northeastern University Class of 2026.

“I’m studying Mechanical Engineering, and I’ve especially been enjoying my Mechanics of Materials class. This course has provided me with a deep understanding of how materials respond to various forces and loads, which is fundamental to my field of study. I’ve also really enjoyed the group projects I’ve had the privilege to collaborate on. My favorite so far has been working on a Plinko arcade game with motorized obstacles. I’m in the process of applying for co-op and will get one by the spring. The FOCRLS Engineering scholarship was very useful for helping with my tuition. My parents and I are very grateful.”

Photo courtesy of Jake

The “100 by 100” STEAM Scholarships are sponsored by FOCRLS and members of the Cambridge business community.

Alex, a 2018 recipient of the CRLS Core Values Scholarship, graduated from Wellesley College in 2022 and is a 2023 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellow at Johns Hopkins University, studying for a career with the U.S. Foreign Service.

“The Core Values Scholarship helped me with my first year of tuition at Wellesley College but it also had an impact on me intrapersonally. I transitioned from high school to college with greater confidence in myself because I knew that someone believed in me by awarding me the scholarship. That little bit of hope goes a long way when making a major life change into uncharted territory.”

Photo courtesy of Alex

The CRLS Core Values Scholarship is sponsored by FOCRLS.