By Una Yarsky
The Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) Education and Scholarship Task Force (ESTF) has reached its 51st year of providing scholarships to Southwest residents pursuing higher education. SWNA has provided 531 scholarships to 230 Southwest residents and students attending Richard Wright Public Charter School of Journalism and Media Arts. The high school has made its permanent home in Southwest DC since 2021. SWNA has raised over $444,000 dollars for these students since its inception. In 2023, SWNA awarded thirty-four scholarships that totaled approximately $75,000. This year, SWNA celebrates two scholarship recipients who completed their college degrees. Congratulations to Eleanor Holt and Sydney King!
Sydney King attended Xavier University of Louisiana and majored in Chemistry with a minor in Biology. During her time at Xavier, King participated in a number of community service events and extracurricular activities, such as making science kits for elementary students and volunteering at the children’s museum. King made the Dean’s list her freshman year and was an active member in multiple clubs, including the Pre-Pharmacy Association and Fashion Society. One of her most memorable experiences at Xavier University was receiving her acceptance to their College of Pharmacy, which served as a reminder that pharmaceutical science was her path. King has faced numerous challenges during her time at school, such as homesickness and loss, but found she was able to overcome them using her faith in God and reminding herself that He has a plan for her. Throughout her undergraduate experience, King has learned to prioritize time management and build strong friendships with her fellow students. When asked about the best piece of advice she’d ever been given, King stated, “…life is not a competition/race, so you have to stop comparing where you are in life with everyone else.” She intends to graduate from Pharmacy school and possibly work in a pediatric or hospital setting. Recently, King has taken an interest in pursuing skincare research. King feels she can best honor her support system in Southwest by earning her PharmD because she will be the first doctor in her family, and as she states, “my degree will also be their degree because they are the reason I’ve made it to where I am.”
Eleanor Holt graduated from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. She majored in community youth and educational studies with a minor in women and gender studies. Holt hopes to become a kindergarten or first grade public school teacher. She is seeking her Masters in elementary education at Clark University, where she has received free tuition due to excellent academic performance. Holt became interested in education by speaking with her aunt, who is a first grade teacher, and by working with children throughout most of her life. During her time at Clark, Holt was president of the CHOICE organization, which focused on peer sexual health education, and did organizational work with Students for Palestine. Additionally, Holt was on the coordinating committee for campus organization Jews Give a F*ck, or JGAF. Holt achieved the Dean’s list every semester and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Working in education has taught Holt that everyone has a “deep, complex inner world,” a lesson she works to keep in mind, particularly as a teacher. Holt struggled during the beginning of her time at college from homesickness and starting college in the midst of the pandemic, however she was able to overcome these difficulties by learning to prioritize her mental health. Holt’s most memorable experience at Clark included celebrating Jewish holidays and Shabbat dinners with JGAF, which provided space for her to connect with an important aspect of her identity while also building a community. The best piece of advice Holt ever received was from her grandmother, who believed that “well-behaved women rarely make history.” Holt uses this advice to advocate for herself and stay true to her identity and beliefs. In addition to becoming a teacher, Holt hopes to travel and see more of the world. She hopes to honor her community by establishing herself as an educator and providing equal access to education.
SWNA extends a warm congratulations to both scholarship graduates this year and wishes them success in any future endeavors. SWNA is currently accepting donations to help students like these complete their college education and achieve success during their post-grad years. Although SWNA has given out scholarships for this calendar year, the Scholarship Fund always needs replenishing. Those of you with college age children and grandchildren know how expensive it has become to go to college and our young people need all the help they can get. To contribute, either go directly to www.SWNA.org and following the instructions for donating online or mail a check to SWNA, noting on the line on the bottom left of the check that it is for the Scholarship Fund and sending it to-SWNA, P.O. Box 70131, Washington, DC 20024.