LOS ANGELES – Aug. 24, 2016 – Oakwood Worldwide®, the global leader in corporate housing and serviced apartment solutions, is pleased to award six dedicated and exemplary students scholarships and bursary awards through the Howard F. Ruby Scholarship Program. The program, named after the company’s founder, has awarded more than $154,000 in scholarships over the past seven years to children of Oakwood Worldwide Associates.
Stephanie Arellano, from Laveen, Ariz., was awarded a $1,500 scholarship.
In addition to these scholarships, the selection committee was so impressed with the caliber of the applications received, they selected two additional applicants, Daniel Maier, from Malibu, Calif., and Marissa Wilkinson, from Wilsonville, Ore., to each receive one-time bursary awards of $750 for the 2016-2017 school year.
Josephine Velazquez, a recent graduate of Pioneer High School in Fremont, Calif., will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall and is the first person in her immediate family to attend college. Driven by her love of learning, her end goal is to attend law school and become an immigration attorney. During her high school years, Velazquez spent time volunteering in her community as an English tutor for elementary school kids. Additionally, she made an impact on her peers through her leadership roles, including serving as Vice President of her school’s Latino Club and being the first Spanish Editor of her school’s newspaper.
Cole Sweeny will be attending the California State University Maritime Academy in Vallejo, Calif., in the fall. Due to his recent graduation from the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, Calif., and growing up in Venice Beach, Calif., his future dream is to work near the ocean while giving back to the community. He plans to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard his junior year and graduate as an officer with a major in Marine Science and a minor in Maritime Affairs. Sweeny has benefited his community by participating in countless beach clean ups for the Venice Pier Project and by volunteering for the non-profit, Life Rolls On, which introduces severely handicapped kids and inner city kids to surfing for the first time. He also participated in fund raising for local charities, schools and surf teams.
Samantha Millette will begin her pursuit of becoming a teacher this fall at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn. Before her recent graduation from Darien High School, located in Darien, Conn., Millette served her community by being a coach for Challenged People in Motion, an organization that works with those with special needs, preparing them for a yearly golf tournament. Additionally, Millette has participated in the Girls Scouts for 12 years, even leading a group of girls in Disney’s Brave-themed encampment.
Stephanie Arellano, from Laveen, Ariz., is a rising senior at Northern Arizona University, pursuing a major in Microbiology and a minor in Chemistry and plans to become an epidemiologist. In 2015, Arellano went to Malaysia with the Minority Health International Research Training Program to conduct research at the University of Nottingham Malaysia campus, collaborating with developing countries to explore heath disparity issues. This summer, she was chosen for an internship in Atlanta, Ga., at Morehouse College, working in the Public Health Leadership Fellowship Program designed to raise awareness of HIV prevention, viral hepatitis, STD and TB prevention. On campus, Arellano is involved in the Tri-Beta Biological Honors club, which supports the botany club and ensures an overall green campus.
Recipients of the Howard F. Ruby scholarship awards are recognized for academic achievement and community involvement through volunteer work in the areas of health and human services, education, arts and culture, civic life, community service and environmental preservation. Based on annual reviews by the Howard F. Ruby Scholarship Program Committee, each scholarship, excluding the bursary awards, may be re-issued annually for a total of $45,000 awarded over four years of college education for these recipients.