LA5 Scholarship Recipients and Their Success

Christine Nguyen
Venice High School, 2005
Yale University, 2009
Stanford University School of Medicine, M.D. Candidate
Bio:  Christine Nguyen is a MD Candidate at Stanford University School of Medicine. During her undergraduate training at Yale University, she was awarded $80K to direct global development projects, appointed to 1 of 3 student positions on the highest Yale Executive committee. She founded the New Haven-Yale Golf Program focused on mentoring underserved children to develop life skills and overcome obstacles through golf. At graduation, she was awarded the Yale Class Graduation Prize for Public Service. After completing her degree from Yale, Christine pursued her passion for increasing healthcare access by investigating Viet Nam's healthcare resources and hospital/clinic infrastructure on the efficiency and quality of care delivery as a Fulbright Scholar.  At Stanford, she continues to volunteer at local free health clinics, mentoring, and teaching Stanford Graduate and Undergraduate courses.
Thank you:  The LA5 Rotary Scholarship made it possible for me to receive a world-class education at Yale University. Yale fostered my passion for social change by providing me with opportunities to engage in volunteering, classes, and international projects. I am grateful for the financial support and mentors from the Los Angeles Rotary Club.  

James Zhang
Venice Senior High School, 2007
Undergraduate-UC Berkeley, 2011
Graduate-UCLA, 2013
Bio:  James Zhang is currently working at Amgen as a Senior Research Associate to develop bone-healing drugs. He is also applying to dental schools this year in hopes of becoming a clinician.
Thank you:  The LA5 Rotary scholarship money was very important to me in completing my undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley. Without the help from the Los Angeles Rotary Club, I would still be paying back my debts from the ever-rising tuition. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Gracielou Abalos
Phineas Banning High School, 2006
UC Berkeley, B.A. Political Economics, 2010
     Minor South & Southeast Asian Studies
Bio:  Gracielou Abalos is currently employed as an Accounting Associate with American Honda Motor Company. Before taking on that role, she worked in marketing with a reputable real estate development and management firm and in business development with a local government’s economic development workgroup. Gracielou joined the American Association of University Women whose mission is to promote research, education, philanthropy, and advocacy for women and girls and served as the Funds VP for the organization. Gracie has received offers and is planning to attend a graduate program in London to pursue a Master’s degree in International Business, Management/Marketing.|
Thank you:  I greatly appreciated the generous donation that the Los Angeles Rotary bestowed upon me. The Rotary scholarship assisted me in funding my undergraduate studies at the number one public school institution in the nation. With this support, I graduated in four years and have been successful in my career pursuits. I truly value the education and experiences I obtained and I will continue making a difference through my endeavors to create positive changes.

Jonathan Kim
Hollywood Senior High School, 2008
Georgetown University, Double Major, 2012
        B.A. Government and Medieval Studies
Bio: Jonathan works at the Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, a non-profit legal aid as a Community Legal Advocate. Jonathan's work involves with working with the AAPI community on legal issues such as: family law (victims of DV), immigration law, housing law, and serves as a communication bridge between the attorneys and monolingual speaking Korean clients. Jonathan is currently attending USC Rossier School of Education for a Master's Degree along with his teaching credentials to become a high school Social Studies Teacher (2014). Jonathan works part-time and previously interned with Senator Barbara Boxer in Los Angeles, and privately tutors SAT and English.
Thank you: The Los Angeles Rotary Scholarship meant a great deal to me, especially during my 1st and 3rd year in college when I was going through very tough times financially at home. The scholarship allowed me to live comfortably in college and made me feel I was equal to my college peers who came from much wealthier and privileged backgrounds. The LA5 Rotary Club stood behind me during my time of need and I am truly grateful; not just financially but it helped me academically and instilled a life of humanitarianism in me.

Ann Yun
Venice Foreign Language Magnet, 2008
UC Berkeley, 2012
     B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2012
     M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2013
Bio: Ann Yun graduated with her Masters in Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley this past May. She is working at Amazon's Lab126 as a hardware reliability engineer. Lab126 is a research and development center, mainly known for developing and producing the Kindle devices.
Thank you: I am very grateful for the Rotary LA5 scholarship because it gave me the opportunity to decide how to allocate my time. I was able to work less hours during undergrad and put more time into my studies. The Rotary scholarship helped me achieve my future.                        

Michelle Lukiman
North Hollywood High School, 2007
Amherst College, 2011 - Double Major
       B.A. English and Theater & Dance
Bio: Michelle is a proud bearer of English and Theater and Dance degrees from Amherst College. After a wonderful few years exploring the East Coast and Spain, she is back in Los Angeles acting and being a jill of many trades, active in education as well as the performing arts. One of her privileges is working with ETC Theatre Company, serving the nonprofit as Associate Manager as well as project-based producer, performer, designer and more. Having been welcomed into its film intensive program, Michelle is excited to be spending the summer at Stella Adler’s Art of Acting LA studio.
Thank you: The LA5 Rotary scholarship helped me explore without fear. As the family member who made the rare choice to fly away to a far-off school, having that financial support and vote of confidence was invaluable. With its help during my college years, I was able to focus on education, see a whole different side of the country, spark my interest in geographical exploration and study abroad in Europe during what became one of my most influential experiences to date.

James Boganey
Palisades Charter High School, 2003
Columbia University, BA 2007
Seton Hall University, MA 2012, Doctoral Candidate
Bio: James currently serves as the Vice Principal for Speedway School, a K-8 Elementary School, in Newark, New Jersey. 
Thank you: The Rotary Scholarship meant more to me than just a financial contribution to my education; rather, it served as motivation to complete my degree. Being honored with the award meant that there were others who believed in my potential. That was inspiration that kept me going. 

Erica Rosales
Garfield High School, 1995
Wellesley College, 1999
UCLA, 2001, Masters in Education
Bio: While at UCLA, Erica helped start the first charter high school in Los Angeles.  In her five years at Animo Leadership H.S., she worked as a teacher, a college counselor and eventually principal.  For the past six years, she has helped low income, first generation students pursue their higher education dreams by working with College Match, a non-profit organization that helps low income students gain admission into the best colleges in America. She is currently the Program Director for College Match.  
Thank you: The Rotary Scholarship provided me the community support I needed to succeed.  After a highly selective process, knowing that the Rotarians believed in me, gave me the confidence necessary to take on the challenge of college.  Unlike my Wellesley sisters, I was a first generation college student and I arrived on campus alone, carrying my own suitcases.  Having a Rotary Scholarship gave me the confidence to believe that I belonged at a place like Wellesley College, but most importantly reminded me that my community had invested in my success.

Ashley Williams
Hamilton High School, Music Academy Magnet, 2008
UCLA, 2012
Bio:  Ashley Williams recently finished a one year teaching fellowship at Urban Prep Academies in Chicago, the nation's first all Black male charter high school. She has returned to Los Angeles and currently serves as the Director of Tutoring and Art for South of LA (SOLA), a non-profit aiming to mentor and holistically develop inner-city youth through sports, art and cultural awareness. Ashley is also in the process of starting her own non-profit titled B.Steez which encourages young people to become critical thinkers by exploring their talents and passions and using them to positively impact the world around them. With the ideology of B.Steez in mind, Ashley has partnered with Belizean-American Academic Mentors (BAAM)--a program sponsored by the Belize Consulate in Los Angeles--and will spend two months in Belize, Central America mentoring students who have repeated their first year in secondary school. This initiative is particularly important to Ashley who is a first-generation American as both of her parents were born in Belize. Lastly, in keeping with her career goals to become a college professor and education researcher, Ashley is in the process of applying to doctoral programs in education, specifically urban schooling.  
Thank you:  The Rotary Scholarship was extremely helpful throughout my college years. Whether it was used for books, school and housing fees, food or all of the above, I would not have made it through without the extra security the scholarship provided. It was because of the Rotary Scholarship that I was able to focus more on my academics and extra-curricular activities instead of worrying about working extra hours to make ends meet. I was able to join clubs, mentor students from my neighborhood, and serve as the chairperson for various committees and organizations. Thank you!

Christian Strong
Crenshaw High School, 2005
Harvard University, BA Economics with Honors, 2009
Harvard Medical School, Doctor of Medicine, 2013
Bio:  Dr. Christian Strong is a first year resident in Harvard's Brigham Hospital Neurosurgery Department.  He is interested in pediatric and functional neurosurgery and will pursue research in these areas
Thank you:  Receiving the Los Angeles Rotary Scholarship was an opportunity not only to defray costs of college but also to feel a sense of support from people who believe in me.  I have kept in contact with LA5 Rotary and intend to continue fostering bonds both with its members and my fellow scholarship recipients.  This scholarship has also instilled in me a desire to provide younger students academic opportunities that would not otherwise be possible.