Past Recipients

Angelina Romero Zelaya is dedicated to the idea that education is often a marathon rather than a sprint. For her, it has been a gradual process beginning with the completion of medical assistant school, years of experience applying her knowledge counseling those with a variety of developmental disabilities, and most recently receiving her LpN through coursework and clinical experiences. Angelina plans to continue pursuing her dream of becoming a registered nurse and has enrolled at Housatonic Community College to begin her prerequisites to complete the RN program.

The Developing Gateways selection committee was captivated by Angelina's story of putting the needs of her family above her own, while never losing sight of the idea that there is no time limit on claiming the education that we all deserve. We congratulate Angelina on her recent accomplishment and look forward to watching her grow and prosper in her career.

Inspired by her story of perseverance through challenging life circumstances, Tiffany Diaz is a true testament to the idea that fulfilling your educational goal is often a marathon and not a sprint. Tiffany has long desired to become a nurse, but as a single mother, her own needs and wants took a backseat, as is so often the case. At the age of 40, Tiffany is now a medical assistant, and is planning to return to the classroom this fall to begin fulfilling the requirements to become a registered nurse.

The Developing Gateways selection committee was impressed with Tiffany’s commitment to transforming her own life experiences into a career where she can provide a personal care approach for those in her own community. We feel confident that her ability to provide empathy, compassion, and knowledge to her patients will create a ripple effect felt near and wide. We congratulate Tiffany as a deserving recipient of this scholarship and wish her the best as she embarks on this next chapter.

Karina Avalos is impressive and unique in her ability to paint a vivid picture with her words. This is particularly true as she shared how her mother’s lack of educational opportunities in her home country of Honduras has been the catalyst to push her forward. She says, “She constantly instilled the idea that education is important, and that I should take advantage of the precious gift that it is."

Karina says of the award, “I hope to apply my knowledge of the relationship between human and machine interaction to environmental matters. I want to pursue a career in which I can reduce these environmental injustices in my community and those like it.” We take enormous pleasure in awarding a scholarship to a student like Karina, who embodies the characteristics that we at Developing Gateways strive to support. Congratulations and good luck as you explore the variety of career paths available to you.

Dedicated to enacting change, Nebiyat Eskndir will use this honor to assist in her pursuit of a biology degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The selection committee was impressed with Nebiyat’s determination in the face of adversity and her ability to seek out role models in her desired field to look to as inspiration during challenging times. Nebiyat’s goal to create impactful change extends far beyond her immediate circle, reaching other public-school students like herself, the youth in her area, and the Ethiopian community.

Nebiyat says of the award, “I am a first-generation community college graduate, and a four-year college student who is working hard to accomplish my dream of becoming a woman in science.” Congratulations, Nebiyat! We are honored to award this well deserved scholarship to you and cannot wait to see you achieve your goals.

Glendy Alvarez hails from San Francisco, CA and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in the Migration Studies program at the University of San Francisco. As a Salvadoran, intersex, American citizen, and a daughter of immigrant parents, Glendy will use her unique perspective to continue to expand her story through positive light dismantling stigmas about identity and learning to make bridges for future generations to cross over. When asked how she plans to initiate impactful change in the community, Glendy had this to say, “Braiding my identities together, I hope to be that bridge between the mental health profession and my community, to deconstruct the stigmas including decolonizing mental health. The reason that guided me to apply to the Migration Studies Program is because I want to seek justice for my community. Therefore, I hope to seek foreground healing, empowerment, and resilience among immigrants' health and to shed negative feelings through my research at the University of San Francisco.”