Five finalists selected for 2022 Future Community Leaders Scholarship
The B3 Foundation is excited to announce the five finalists selected for our 2022 Future Community Leaders Scholarship.
Sadeen Al Ziyad
MiMi Harris
Naomi Kirori
Ehtheyu Paw
Luna Plaza
The students selected in year two of this scholarship are not only impressive in their academic pursuits, but stand out as compassionate and bold community leaders and changemakers. This group of young women hail from four different states and include four “first-opportunity”* college students. They aspire to pursue careers in business, pediatric medicine, physical therapy, and psychology. In their time in middle and high school, these young leaders have served as mentors, tutors, class and service club presidents, team captains, community and international volunteers and more. What is most inspiring about this year’s cohort is their dedication to community, social and environmental justice and being active participants in building a better future. We are so proud to recognize and celebrate these young women and their outstanding accomplishments.
*The B3 Foundation is ever-aware of the fact that access to a college education has long been a privilege afforded to few. The combination of laws that prevented minority groups from enrolling in institutions of higher education and systemic inequality that has long favored white individuals in access to housing, primary education and the accumulation of wealth reminds us that pursuing a college education has never been an equal playing field. We celebrate our finalists who will be the first in their families to attend and graduate from college. We use the term “first-opportunity” instead of “first-generation” because it validates students and their families and serves as a counternarrative to the notion that because they are the first in their families to attend college, they are the first to care about or deserve a college education.
Naomi Kirori
Naomi Kirori is a recent graduate of Garfield High School and Seattle Central College with her associate degree in arts. In high school, she was a member of many community organizations including Hip Hop is Green, Y-WE, Life Enrichment Group of Seattle and others.Through these programs she’s had access to opportunities that have made real change and impact in her community through leadership and unity-building efforts. Naomi was the president of her school’s Black Student Union and a youth community leader for Y-WE, Youth Leadership Council. In the fall, she plans on majoring in business administration at Clark Atlanta University, as the first person in her family to attend college. Her plan is to continue her work within her community in Seattle, launching her own company, helping to promote Black business and giving back to her people.
Mimi Harris
Mimi Harris is a recent graduate of Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, AZ. Throughout high school, she was the captain of her volleyball team, a member of the National Honor Society and Black Student Union, a Campus Ambassador, on student council, and a peer academic tutor. With a strong passion for service, she found fulfillment serving the homeless community in Arizona. She garnered more than 800 hours of documented community service over the last four years including work as a Special Olympics volleyball coach and education-focused service trips to Costa Rica. In the fall, she will attend Alabama State University to major in Health Science/Rehab Service and minor in Psychology. She will also be playing volleyball.
Sadeen Al Ziyad
Sadeen Al Ziyad is an Arab Muslim young woman who is dedicated to serving others. She is a recent graduate of Nathan Hale High School (NHHS) in Seattle, WA and will become the first person in her family to go to college when she attends the University of Washington in the fall. She has excelled as a leader both inside and outside the classroom as a high school student. She co-founded the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at NHHS, served in ASB leadership, and is dedicated to giving back to her neighborhood through tutoring at the Youth Tutoring Program at Jackson Park Public Housing. Recently she led a coalition of young leaders as an advocate for better housing and educational programs within her housing development. Her dream is to become a pediatrician to provide better access to healthcare for underserved communities.
Ehtheyu Paw
Ehthayou Paw is a Karen refugee from Thailand currently living in Omaha, Nebraska. Coming to this country at a young age while battling a serious health condition made her the strong young woman she is today. She is passionate about children’s development through mentorship and wants to fight for equity in access to healthcare as a pediatrician. In high school, she worked annually to put on a health fair for the refugee population in Omaha, serving as a Karen translator and volunteering in other capacities. She was a National Questbridge Finalist and named a top youth leader in the state of Nebraska for Youth Salute. Eh Tha You will be the first person in her family to go to college this fall when she begins at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
