ABC 7 News Bay Area Article
2022 Scholarship Recipients
Nova Pierre-Louis
“I am beyond honored to have been selected as the recipient of the top award of the Youth Advocates for Change Scholarship. It is in these moments that I have to remind myself why I started and where I plan on going. My first thought when I received the email was disbelief, which was quickly followed by a boost of motivation whispering in my ears that I must make it to the top for and with my brothers and sisters; I must be an example of Black Excellence. It is a great privilege to be gifted the opportunity to further my education in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Pre-Law Studies. With this degree, I will be able to accomplish many goals, not only for myself but for the advancement and empowerment of the youth community.”
- Nova Pierre-Louis, Recipient of the Platnium Award ($5,000)
Indigo Eatmon
“Thank you to everyone at Youth Advocates for Change for selecting me as one of the recipients of this scholarship—it is bringing my family and I one step closer to affording college and being able to avoid going into debt. I will be attending San Diego State University where I plan to double major in Journalism and Criminal Justice so that I can continue my advocacy and pursue a career rooted in social change and equity. I am so grateful and honored to be recognized by Tiana Day and this organization, and look forward to further connecting in the future!”
- Indigo Eatmon, Recipient of the Gold Award ($2,500)
Deja Wilson
"Attending and graduating from a four year year university has always been a dream of mine , however adversities in my life made it seem like college was impossible! Fast forward to today, I am proud to share that I am currently in my Junior year of college projected to graduate in the year 2023! I look forward to using my degree of Occupational Health and Safety to provide representation in the construction industry as well be the first person in my family to receive a college degree! Thank you Youth Advocates for Change for this scholarship opportunity and award, I am forever grateful!"
- Deja Wilson, Recipient of the Gold Award ($2,500)
Victoria Balla
“ I’ve always been interested in the nuances of engineering and computer science. Creating something others could use and innovating what people had already made with code seemed out of my capabilities; it wasn’t until I produced an interactive website that brought awareness to and explored the issue of fake activism during the Black Lives Matter movement that I realized that I could educate my community with just a few lines. From then on, I viewed it as my mission to advance my community by doing whatever I could with the skills I had. Whether that was joining my university’s Black Recruitment and Retention Center (BRRC) where we threw a multitude of events focusing on increasing black enrollment at UC Berkeley or participating in Martin Luther King Jr Freedom Center where we helped organize and lead protests at the 2019 Oakland Women’s March. I continue to connect my passions of activism and education through coding. As a proud Cameroonian-American, I plan to spearhead initiatives in African countries that introduce computer science education in schools. With this, I hope that technology will be a field more explored in Africa and that black people worldwide could either ignite a passion for it or use it in conjunction with their passions.”
- Victoria Balla, Recipient of the Bronze Grant ($500)
Kimari Guillory
“I am a Junior at Tulane University where I major in Public Health and double minor in Africana studies, and Gender & Sexuality studies. As I am nearing graduation I am working towards applying to nursing school, where I hope to become a travel nurse helping women and children across the globe. I am currently a part of Health Career connection, building relationships with like-minded peers with various career passions, but ultimately one goal for reformed policy in the healthcare system.”
- Kimari Guillory, Recipient of the Bronze Grant ($500)