The 30th Annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon
The luncheon to recognize the 2015 scholarship awardees was held on June 4, 2015 at the City Club of San Francisco. This FWSF signature event is always well attended and awe inspiring and this year was no exception from the high level of planning led by Linda Jackson, 2015 Scholarship Vice President and Colleen Lingane and Paige Venable, 2015 Scholarship Committee Co-Chairs to the motivational and often tear jerking speeches given by the various recipients and the heart-warming gratitude shared in an amazing speech by the 2014 Scholarship Recipient, Stephanie Hyde. It was also the opportunity to formally introduce the FWSF’s 20th Annual Financial Woman of the Year, Carrie Dolan, CEO of Lending Club, who will be further recognized at the Financial Women of the Year event to be held on 30 September 2015.
A total of $100,000 was awarded to the 2015 Scholarship Recipients with $5,000 awarded to each undergraduate student and $10,000 to each graduate student. Awards were made possible by the generosity of the 2015 Scholarship Luncheon donors and the 2015 Corporate Sponsors. This year’s awardees chosen from 75 candidates interviewed after two rounds of intense interviews were as follows:
Undergraduate Students
Kayla Dean – UC Berkeley
Mekedelawit (Mekdi) T. Yilma – Dominican University of California
Graduate Students
Pratiksha Ahuja – Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business, Mills College
Morgana Davis – UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
Ruoyi Fang – Golden Gate University
Kimberly Jones – Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business, Mills College
Mina Shankar – UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
Arriel Sherman – University of San Francisco
Ami Thomas – Dominican University of California
Jing (Vicki) Ye – University of San Francisco
Sarah Wang – Stanford Graduate School of Business
It was clear to all who attended that despite many firsts in some of their lives and at times being raised under extremely difficult circumstances, that there is nothing in the world that will stop these ladies from not only achieving their goals but exceling in their chosen career paths and making an impact in the world order. This is evidenced by what they have already overcome and achieved to date. It is also most impressive that all of these ladies give back in many ways not as an obligation but as what they deem to be exactly how it should be. Click here to read more about these wonderful ladies.
As part of their award, the scholarship recipients are eligible to be mentored by volunteers from FWSF led by the Scholarship Mentoring Committee chaired by Sara Grossman and also Lela Johnson. It is a wonderful and rewarding opportunity for both mentors and mentees.
FWSF members, sponsors and supporters are to be congratulated for making this wonderful program possible – it takes just one student’s story to know that this is all very much worth it!